Monday regional fire update: 88 new starts
By Southeast Fire Centre
The BC Wildfire Service has been responding to 88 new wildfires in the Southeast Fire Centre since Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015. A total of 499 wildfires have occurred in the region since April 1, 2015.
The BC Wildfire Service has been responding to these incidents, with the protection of life and property being the top priority. The following fires are highly visible.
* The Paulson Pass fire covers about 260 hectares and is 0% contained.Twelve BC Wildfire Service personnel are on site, as well as two helicopters and four pieces of heavy equipment. Currently, Highway 3 remains open to traffic. Due to steep slopes and terrain instability, debris could fall on the highway at any time, so motorists should exercise extreme caution.
* The Mount Midgeley fire, west of Creston, covers about 332 hectares and is 10% contained. Forty BC Wildfire personnel, four helicopters and 10 pieces of heavy equipment are working on containment. This fire is highly visible from the community of Creston. No structures or communities are threatened by this fire.
* The Rock Creek fire covers about 3,750 hectares and is 0% contained.
There are 98 BC Wildfire Service personnel, a Type 1 Incident Management Team, seven helicopters and 14 pieces of heavy equipment working on this fire.
* A fire burning five kilometres up St. Mary Lake Road, southwest of Kimberly, is estimated at 0.6 hectares. The BC Wildfire Service is asking the public to stay out of the area and avoid travelling where crews are working, including anywhere on St. Mary Lake Road.
The Stickpin fire in the United States is burning near Grand Forks, seven kilometres south of the B.C. border, and is 0% contained. It covers about 12,000 hectares. The BC Wildfire Service has been in communication with the U.S. Forest Service since this fire exhibited significant growth and aggressive behaviour on Friday. There has been a decrease in fire activity since Saturday morning.
Officials from the BC Wildfire Service met with the Stickpin fire Incident Management Team today about possibly offering firefighting support, if required. Discussions are underway to assist our neighbours to the south on this fire. For information about wildfires in the United States, please visit: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
The BC Wildfire Service encourages members of the public to report any new fires. To report a wildfire 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
You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:
* Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
* Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo
