Three wildfires remain listed as out of control in the Harrison Hot Springs area, but several smaller lightning-caused blazes have been extinguished as summer winds down.
According to the latest from the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS), the Chehalis River, Mystery Creek and Bear Mountain wildfires remain out of control as of early Tuesday afternoon. The Chehalis River wildfire has been burning north of Chehalis Lake since early June and, like the other two out-of-control fires in the area, has not seen significant growth in recent days.
The Cogburn Creek, Macs Cove wildfires have been declared out. There was a small wildfire west of Harrison Lake in the Kirkland Creek area discovered on Friday, Sept. 1, and declared out on Sunday.
RELATED: UPDATE: BCWS deploys rappel team to Bear Mountain fire
The Bear Mountain wildfire is the closest to Harrison Hot Springs, to the northeast. BCWS deployed a rappel crew late last week to create a landing zone for a helicopter to help battle the wildfire. The fire has no open flames but is smouldering on terrain that is difficult to access far up the mountain. Residents might see helicopters going back and forth from the mountain as firefighting efforts are underway.
The District of Kent activated its Emergency Operations Centre to respond to any fire-related incidents. Residents along Kamp Road east of Bear Mountain have been given a public information notice about the wildfire. This is only a precaution; as of publication, there are no evacuation orders or alerts in the District of Kent or Harrison Hot Springs.
RELATED: Evacuation orders downgraded for Kookipi Creek, Stein Mountain wildfires
To report a wildfire or irresponsible behaviour that could lead to a wildfire, call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 from a cell phone. If you can, take a picture of the fire and submit it to the BCWS through their app, available on the App Store and Google Play.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there are 438 active wildfires in the province. As of Sunday afternoon, the province recorded 2,072 wildfires this year, destroying more than 2 million hectares, much of it being in the Prince George Fire Centre.
Stay connected to The Observer for up-to-the-minute local wildfire coverage.
– With files from John Arendt
@AdamEditor18
adam.louis@ ahobserver.com
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