Fire Bulletin: Smoky conditions expected to return
By Contributor
With shifting winds in the forecast, smoky conditions are expected in the next several days throughout the Southeast Fire Centre.
The forecast shows that prevailing winds will change over the next few days. This change is expected to bringing smoke from the central interior regions of British Columbia, where the majority of large fires continue to burn, to the Southeast Fire Centre. This is likely to bring hazy, smoky conditions.
With continued lightning expected in the forecast, we encourage and rely upon public reporting of forest fires for detection. In the interest of conserving our fire suppression resources, it is important that specific and sighted fires are reported rather than just the smoke drift from other regions. The fire danger rating varies widely depending on the zone of the Southeast Fire Centre. Most areas range from moderate to high, while there are some spots rated as extreme in the Boundary, Arrow and Columbia regions. The Southeast Fire Centre encompasses the area extending from the U.S. border in the south to Mica Dam in the north and from the Okanagan Highlands or Monashee Mountains in the west to the B.C./Alberta border in the east. This includes all of the Arrow-Boundary, Kootenay Lake, Rocky Mountain and Columbia Forest Districts. Almost half of all fires in B.C. are reported by the public. If you see smoke or flames, please call 1-800-663-5555 or dial *5555 on most cellular networks. For further information, visit the B.C. Wildfire Management Branch website at www.bcwildfire.ca.
