The BC Wildfire Service is currently responding to a 40-hectare wildfire referred to as the 55 km Linklater Forest Service Road located approximately 24 kilometres south west of Baynes Lake and approximately two kilometres north of the B.C./U.S. border.
The fire is being actioned by 18 personnel with the assistance of heavy equipment and aviation support, including air tankers.
The fire is at present not threatening any communities or structures, though it is producing a substantial amount of smoke which is easily visible from Highway 93, Baynes Lake, Newgate, Jaffray and the surrounding communities.
The fire danger rating for this area as of Wednesday, June 5 is predominantly moderate to high with some small pockets of extreme, this according to Ashley Davidoff, communications specialist for the Southeast Fire Centre.
“That being said, with the cooler temperatures in the forecast, along with some precipitation in the forecast, that will bring that rating down.”
There is currently a 30 per cent chance of showers in Cranbrook forecasted for Thursday, 40 per cent on Friday and 60 per cent on Sunday, according to Environment Canada.
Davidoff said that the Linklater wildfire is suspected to be person-caused and is under investigation. She added that the majority of fires in this area are lightning caused during the hot summer months, and that the amount of rain received in June factors impacts the outcome of the fire danger rating for the summer months.
Davidoff added that the main things people can do are be aware of any fire prohibitions in effect — though there are currently no fire prohibitions in the Southeast Fire Centre. She explained that caution and responsibility is urged when having campfires.
“All person-caused wildfires are preventable and we want to minimize the impact of any of those. We also recommend just making sure that you’re up to speed with the prohibitions, using fire responsibly, reporting any wildfires if they were to see smoke or anything like that — we do rely on the public very heavily for their reporting.”
She added that having yourself and your home prepared for the event that there is a wildfire in the area is also important.
Including this fire, there are a total of eight wildfires burning in the Southeast Fire Centre, however the 55KM Linklater FSR is the only one that is burning an area of over one hectare.
