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British Columbia’s wildfire monitoring agency said more than 400 lightning strikes hit the southern part of the Northwest Fire Centre service area on Friday evening, and eight new fires were started.
British Columbia Wildfire Management said the four new fires were burning west of the community of Witset, home to about 611 reserve members.
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The fire department said that while the fires were small, assessing the severity of some of them was “extremely challenging” due to their remote locations.
With more than 380 wildfires burning across the province, a report from the British Columbia Wildfire Management Agency says there is a “significant” chance of lightning strikes in the southern Interior, which could both start new fires and intensify existing ones.
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The wildfire management department website shows that there are six fires of concern in British Columbia, including the Hulk Mountain Fire, located about 13 kilometers northwest of Armstrong, with an area of about 7.1 square kilometers.
The department also warned travelers that smoke could be seen in the communities of Armstrong and Enderby due to a planned ignition of the Hulk Mountain wildfire on Saturday.
Darcy MacLeod, a wildfire officer with the British Columbia Wildfire Management Service, said Friday they had to suspend the proposed ignition plan due to unfavorable weather conditions caused by thunderstorms near the fire site.
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McLeod said the fire department completed the construction of the control line on the north side of the fire on Friday. About 70 firefighters rushed to the Hulk Mountain Fire over the weekend and they worked 24 hours a day to ensure the control line was functioning properly.
The agency shared some positive news on Saturday, with wildfire management saying they have gained “significant control” of the north and southwest flanks of the Ponderosa FSR wildfire over the past week.
Crews were able to successfully complete two planned fires in the area by clearing combustible material from the forest floor, reducing the risk of the fire spreading uncontrollably southward due to winds.
The Ponderosa FSR fire is estimated to have burned approximately 15.4 square kilometres, and crews are continuing to mop up the fire area.
The province also issued an air quality advisory on Saturday for much of the southern Interior and parts of northern British Columbia, noting those areas will be impacted by wildfire smoke over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Other affected areas include the Central and North Okanagan, Fort Nelson, Fraser Canyon, South Thompson, West Kootenay and Whistler.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Aug. 10, 2024.
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