Residents in Clearwater, Barriere and 100 Mile House have so far avoided any wildfire evacuation orders or alerts, but are still feeling some impacts of the 300-plus blazes burning throughout the province.
On Monday (July 22), Environment Canada issued a series of smoky sky bulletins, including for the North Thompson Valley. Air quality is forecast to be poor in the region for at least 24 to 48 hours until westerly winds shift the smoke further east.
Of the 333 wildfires burning in B.C., about 13 are within 50 kilometres of Clearwater, Barriere or 100 Mile House. All of them are classified as out of control, but none are considered wildfires of note, meaning fires that are especially visible or pose a threat to public safety.
All but two of the area wildfires are minimal in size, with most burning at less than one hectare. The C41350 blaze, located near Pendleton Lakes, about 50km northwest of Clearwater, is the largest of them at an estimated 150 hectares. The second largest is K21056, which is 58.5 hectares in size and located about 35km northwest of Clearwater.
In addition to the air quality alert, the region also remains under a heat warning. Environment Canada says daytime highs in the 30s and overnight lows in the mid-teens will continue until at least Tuesday, when cooler temperatures are forecast to begin.
Across B.C., an estimated 400 properties are under evacuation alert and 3,000 are under evacuation alert. The BC Wildfire Service says the worsening situation has been caused by a combination of above-normal temperatures, ongoing drought conditions and increased lightning strikes.
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