As of 6p.m. on Tuesday (August 3), the evacuation order for 41 properties in the Lazy Lake area has been downgraded to an alert.
The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) reports that BC Wildfire Service crews continue to make progress on the Bill Nye Mountain Fire, allowing for the rescinded order.
This alert is in addition to the evacuation alert for 12 properties in the Holmes Road and Lakit Lake areas, including one property on the Wildhorse Service Road, bringing the total number of properties on evacuation alert to 53.
The RDEK says that cooler temperatures and precipitation have resulted in a reduction of fire activity and allowed BC Wildfire crews to make good progress, however it continues to be an active fire.
“We want to stress to people within the evacuation alert area that they should stay prepared and be ready to leave on a moment’s notice, should conditions change and an order needs to be re-issued,” said Loree Duczek, information officer for the RDEK.
A map of the alert area can be found on the RDEK website at www.rdek.bc.ca.
As of Wednesday morning (August 4), the Bill Nye fire is estimated to be 2,990 hectares in size. Poor visibility is hampering efforts to monitor and map the fire, says the RDEK. The latest updates can be found on the fires of note page on the BC Wildfire Service website.
According to the fires of note page, ongoing challenges with the Bill Nye fire include: extreme slopes, heavy concentrations of fuel, poor access, poor visibility due to heavy smoke/weather. Recent precipitation, while highly variable across the Southeast Fire Centre, has raised humidity and led to a decrease in fire activity.
“Heavy smoke continues to keep temperatures cooler and humidity at higher levels,” reads the information bulletin. “On Tuesday and into Wednesday, there is a potential for thunderstorm activity accompanied by dry lightning, wind gusts and varying amounts of precipitation.”
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