Crews cannot reach a wildfire caused by lightning burning just east of Terrace at Copper River Road.
“The issue with this fire is that it’s burning in steep, inaccessible terrain,” said Lindsay Carnes, information officer at the Northwest Fire Centre. “Where it is now, it would not be safe for our crews.”
Discovered Aug. 9, the fire is spot sized, .009 hectares or about the size of a dining room table, and smoke can be visible from the Copper River Road.
“We do expect it to expand,” said Carnes.
The fire’s proximity to the city, approximately 12 kilometres, would usually call for a full response, but all crews can do is actively monitor the fire.
Carnes said fires typically grow uphill.
“If it makes its way up to a flatter area, then we would put our crews in there so that the fire wouldn’t extend,” she said. Right now the fire is approximately one kilometre away from the hill’s plateau.
Eighteen fires started in total last week, all caused by lightning, but the majority were small, less than a hectare in size. The largest, 7.5 hectares, is being fought by fire fighters near Good Hope Lake.
The Northwest Fire Centre officials have said with the recent lightning they expect more fires are burning that haven’t yet been located.
The centre would like to remind the public that reporting fires or smoke is key to stopping wildfires before they grow out of control.
To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, please call *5555 on your cell phone or call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free. For the latest information on fire activity, conditions and prohibitions, visit the Wildfire Management Branch website: www.bcwildfire.ca.
