The Lower North Thompson Community Forest Society want to thank the swift action of local residents who turned out to prevent a small lightning strike from becoming a wildfire in the forest.
Barriere Lakes Road resident, Brian Bondar, reported a lightning strike to an aspen in the Lower North Thompson Community Forest site the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 1.
The strike caused a small fire at 1.2 km on the Upper Wikkiup, and as a result, a dozen local residents gathered together and managed to get enough water on the fire to douse the flames and even the smoke.
Bondar reported an initial firefighting attack crew met on his property at 8 a.m. the following morning, and he then guided them to the hot spots and to where a hot snag needed to be felled.
“The small forest fire was put out, and the Fire Centre Initial Attack Crew left at noon on Monday,” reported Bondar.
