Firefighting efforts are underway to contain several large wildfires burning in the Elk Valley.
A wildfire burning near Fernie is now more than 1000ha in size, however, it is not threatening communities.
BC Wildfire Service has updated the estimated size of the Coal Creek Forest Service Road fire (N12395) to 1030ha, up from 548ha, after strong winds in recent days further fuelled the fire, making it unsafe for crews to respond.
Ground crews consisting of 16 firefighters and heavy equipment are onsite today re-establishing containment lines.
The fire remains 12km east of Fernie and is not currently threatening communities.
The McDermid Creek fire (N12563) has also nearly doubled in size.
The fire was listed as 288ha on Saturday but the latest update from BC Wildfire Service, issued about midday Sunday, shows the size as 445ha.
The agency says the fire has spread in a favourable direction to the south and west into the McDermid Creek area.
On Sunday, the fire was not spreading to the north.
Ground crews and heavy equipment are unable to respond to this fire due to the steep and unworkable terrain.
A helicopter will bucket this fire today to provide cooling action and to limit spread to the north and east.
Although this fire is highly visible from Highway 3, Galloway and Fernie, it continues to burn in the backcountry and is not threatening any communities.
Further north, an aerial ignition operation is planned at the Mount Erickson fire (N12574), which is about 11km southeast of Sparwood and 1.5km north of Highway 3.
According to the Regional District of East Kootenay, BC Wildfire Service will conduct the ignition operation as early as Sunday morning, weather and conditions permitting.
“This aerial ignition operation will help contain and steer this wildfire inside predetermined boundaries,” said the RDEK in a Facebook post on Sunday.
“Helicopters may also lay retardant during this operation. Increased smoke will be visible from Highway 3 and surrounding communities.”
The Mount Erickson fire is listed as 79ha in size on the BC Wildfire Service website.
There are two other fires listed as active in the Elk Valley on the interactive fire map – Bull River, west of Elkford and 760ha in size, and South Line Creek, southeast of Elkford and 15ha in size.
