Crews battle more than 60 fires from long-weekend lightning
By Kyra Hoggan
Video captured by Chris Sapriken
A 120-hectare, lightning-caused wildfire in Slocan Valley remains uncontained today but is still almost two km away from homes and outbuildings, according to Southeast Fire Centre information officer Jordan Turner.
Turner said the fire is threatening some towers and power lines, and crews have put in suppressant around those as well as creating fuel-free areas to limit the fire’s movement.
“We currently have three 20-person crews, four helicopters and one administrative helicopter working the fire,” he said, “as well as air tankers putting in retardant lines and supporting our crews on the ground as needed.”
He said the evacuation alert will remain in place until further notice.
“This fire is still very active, and we don’t want to take any chances.”
As of tomorrow (Thursday) at 7 a.m., an Incident Management Team will be taking control of the fire, promising a specialized team with members from across the province on site to focus solely on that blaze.
Meanwhile, in the region, there are five initial attack crews from Coastal Fire Centre concentrating on more than 60 spot fires started by lightning over the long weekend.
“Those fires are almost all under one hectare and not cause for public concern,” Turner said.
Finally, the Fennel Creek fire, about 8.5 km east of Silverton as the crow flies, is estimated to be about 100 hectares in size and is not currently contained. Turner said they have crews on site, and the fire is not considered to be threatening any homes or structures.
