Wildfires continue in Golden, after this week’s lightning strikes in the area.
Currently, eight fires are burning in the Golden area, and most of them are south of town, near Parson.
A fire, which began on July 20, is currently a fire of note at Hobo Creek, burning at 54 hectares as of noon on Saturday, July 21. The fire is localed approximately 12 kilometres west of Highway 95 and approximately 35 kilometres southeast of Golden.
BC wildfire Service has 41 personnell, four helicopters, four water tenders, and heavy equipment on site.
An evacuation alert has been put in place for Mitten Lake, Bittern Lake, Nine Bay Lake, and McLean Lake. Although the fire is not directly affecting these sites, it has potential to impact the Parson Forest Service Road.
For more information about the evacuation alert, you can call the Columbia Shuswap Regional District at 250-832-8194, or go to www.csrd.bc.ca.
Other fires burning in the area range in size from 0.01 hectares to 0.60 hectares. They all began from lightning on July 20 and 21, and two are burning at Beards Creek, and Spillamacheen River. Other fires are burning at McMurdle Bench, Hobo Creek, Warren Creek, and the Blaeberry River.
These fires are not currently affecting any communities or structures and are being addressed in priority sequence.
Earlier in the week, two fires were started because of the lightning at Frenchman’s Ridge and Glenogle Creek. Frenchman’s Ridge is located between the Town of Golden and Navy Peak, which is the first peak behind Pine Drive. Both fires are now deemed not active.
Witnesses in Golden saw that the fires were burning, and it was reported to the BC Wildifre Service in a timely manner. Golden Fire Department firefighter and witness Rob Perry saw that helicopters were working on the fire all day on July 18, and were still working into the late evening.
The fire danger rating in the Southeast Fire Centre is currently a mixture of “moderate,” “high,” and “extreme” across the south and central parts of the region, with areas of “moderate” in the north. A link to the fire danger rating can be found at www.gov.bc.ca/wildfiredanger
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/wildfire-situation/fire-danger
The BC Wildfire Service reminds the public to stay clear of firefighting aircraft that are collecting water from lakes and other bodies of water. Recreational boaters should stay clear, as their presence in the water interferes with BC Wildfire Service’s ability to fight a fire, since a pilot cannot collect water when a boat is in its intended flight path.
The BC Wildfire Service reminds the public that unattended or abandoned campfires can easily start a wildfire. This type of human-caused wildfire is preventable and diverts crucial resources away from naturally occurring wildfires.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, visit www.bcwildfire.ca
