Two fires were discovered in Barriere roughly four minutes apart and are still burning in the Lower North Thompson and District of Barriere fire area.
On Sunday night (July 9) near Poison Creek, just before 6 p.m., a spot fire was discovered and listed as out of control, according to BC Wildfire Services (BCWS). There are currently four fire personnel attending to the fire currently trying to get it under control.
The second fire located near Mount Leslie, discovered shortly after, is also listed as spot sized, and its current status is being ‘held’. B.C. Wildfire Service has eight personnel attending the scene.
BCWS are anticipating predicted winds in the area which can cause fires to burn more aggressively depending on where the wind hits, and they are expecting some storms in the area. The winds are expected to be scattered, making some areas see higher winds than others, and they say they are watching the weather closely, messaging out the hourly forecasts to their crews so they can respond effectively.
More than 300 fires are burning across B.C., nearly one-third of them starting in the last 24 hours alone. Fire crews, especially in B.C.’s northern regions, have been calling for more help. Severe thunderstorm warnings covered B.C. throughout the weekend, which increased the number of discovered wildfires by the hour in the province. Gusty winds have been changing the fire behaviors quickly as the province breaks new heat records almost every month. Most of the fires are in remote rural areas, although a fire burning near Vernon triggered the closure of Ellison Park Sunday, and just east of Metro Vancouver, smoke can be seen from a fire burning just north of Abbotsford.
According to BCWS they are adequately resourced with ground and air support heading into the week to attend to the fires and there are no causes for concern. No evacuations alerts or orders are being considered. They are advising people should remain alert and updated.
Firefighters from the Simpcw First Nation are made up of volunteer firefighters and are responsible for an area within 100 kilometers of their home community. They responded to the now-under-control Brennan Creek fire that caused power outages over the weekend. Jr., Chu Chua Volunteer Fire Department fire chief, Ron Lampreau Jr. says they work with BCWS and community groups to get accurate information out.
“We make sure the traffic does not go through if the lines are not on the road and to make sure the community is notified when the road is closed and when they plan or can be expected to be back online, just making sure they have the proper communication,” he said.
Lampreau says a lot of conflicting information can come out during wildfires. That’s why they hold regular town halls and handed out refrigerator magnets with phone numbers and information to update the public on which numbers to call. They also utilize social media to make sure correct information reaches the community. He says with their resources and partnerships, they are ready to respond to any fire threatening the community and that residents may have some nervousness from the 2003 McLure fire that triggered significant evacuations.
“People get really anxious when there is either smoke in the air like this or when they hear about these fires. So the better communication we can get out, the more reassured they will feel. We have a good working relationship with BC Wildfire, Barriere Fire Rescue, and all of the volunteer fire departments in the valley.”
To stay updated on the fire situation in B.C., you can go to https://governmentofbc.maps.arcgis.com/ to view the updated interactive map throughout the day. You can also go to the same website to keep up to date about evacuation alerts and orders in your area.
