Saturday’s rainy, wet conditions in the Fraser Valley will do little to stop the raging Mt. Hicks wildfire as it continues to grow.
The latest update from the District of Kent says the fire – now a whopping 410 hectares in size and 45 per cent contained – has continued growing to the north and remains a threat to properties on Kamp Road.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Mt. Hicks Fire UpdateAugust 24, 2018
Agassiz, British Columbia – The Seabird Island Band along with the District of Kent working with the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) to combat the Mt. Hicks… https://t.co/gWRcJbpCUQ
— Seabird Island Band (@SeabirdIsland) August 24, 2018
While cooler temperatures may discourage ‘aggressive fire behaviour,’ the anticipated rainfall is simply not enough to make any noticeable headway on the blaze, burning approximately 10 kilometres north of Agassiz.
The majority of the fire has been burning north towards Sasquatch Provincial Park and west towards Kamp Road, where properties remain on evacuation alert and will be notified in person if an evacuation order is made.
The deciding factor is the sprinkler containment line on the west flank – if the fire breaches the line, residents will be ordered to leave.
As of Saturday, the fire hasn’t crossed the perimeter, and the southern flank of the fire, burning towards Seabird Island, has slowed and is burning a rank 1 – smoldering fire burning on the forest fire.
Seabird Island warns that airborne ash could land in surrounding communities and homeowners should eliminate combustible fire hazards.
Canada is facing an extremely busy wildfire season. Do everything you can to prepare and download a copy of the FireSmart Last-Minute Wildfire Checklist for simple actions you can take to reduce wildfire risks. https://t.co/1Ir4Gs7iZA #FireSmart #Preparedness #wildfire #Canada pic.twitter.com/XPsuk6BkFY
— FireSmart Canada (@FireSmartCanada) August 17, 2018
The Agassiz and Seabird fire departments are providing 24/7 fire monitoring near the west flank while crews from BC Wildfire battle the blaze from ground and helicopter.
Highway 7 remains closed periodically for air and ground fire personnel to better access the blaze. Highway 1 is recommended as an alternate route.
Stay tuned for updates.
