Rainfall on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday helped to bring a temporary reduction in the fire risk in Summerland and the surrounding area.
The rain started on July 23 around 3 p.m.
By the following morning, 12 millimetres had fallen.
“It’s a reprieve for now,” said Summerland fire chief Glenn Noble, “ but 12 mm isn’t a whole lot.”
The campfire ban implemented on July 16 and the closure of Giant’s Head Mountain Park to vehicle traffic on July 18 both remain in place.
Noble said the park will remain closed to vehicle traffic until after the weekend.
The fire department will reevaluate the risk this week.
While the rain has helped to reduce the fire hazard, a lightning strike on Wednesday afternoon resulted in a wildfire on a hillside in the Garnett Valley area.
Flames from the fire were visible from the road. The fire reached a size of around 93 square metres.
“It was difficult to access but the guys made their way out there,” Noble said.
Forestry crews also arrived to battle the blaze, which was 100 metres outside Summerland’s boundaries.
The fire was extinguished that evening.
By the weekend, the hot and dry summer weather had returned to the region.
