Update: 7:43 p.m.
Approximately 70 lightning strikes hit the ground the northern Harrison Lake area, igniting six wildfires througout Saturday.
The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) reports five new fires discovered today are still burning. These fires are located on Long Island (0.6 hectares), Big Silver Creek (2.5 hectares), and two separate wildfires in the Hornet Creek area (0.1 hectares each). The newest fire discovered is a 9.3 hectare wildfire at Clear Creek.
As of 1 p.m., a wildfire in the Cogburn Creek area no longer appears on the Wildfire Service map.
BCWS has an aerial lightning patril in the area that conitnue to monitor for fires and additional fires are expected to become visible in the morning.
“While lightning patrols are an efficient tool for spotting lightning caused fires, the Coastal Fire Centre is asking anyone in the vicinity who spots a column of smoke to please report it to 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on your cell phones,” The BCWS said in a statement.
There have been approximately 12 wildfires in the Agassiz-Harrison area since the start of the year. There are currently 247 active wildfires throughout B.C. and a total of 1,275 for the year so far.
More to come.
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As of about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, four wildfires still burn in the Harrison Hot Springs area. A fifth, in the Cogburn Creek area, has been extinguished. (Screenshot/B.C. Wildfire Service)
Six wildfires started in the Harrison area on Saturday, July 31. Five are still burning as of about 8 p.m. (Screenshot/Adam Louis)
