Friday, July 16, 2021

July 16th, 2021 Cariboo Fire Centre General Update

Courtesy of the BC Wildfire Service:

There are currently 56 active wildfires within the Cariboo Fire Centre.  


The fire danger rating in the Cariboo is currently mostly High across the centre, with some pockets of Extreme. The BC Wildfire Service website displays the current fire danger rating for the province here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/wildfire-situation/fire-danger 


At this time, the BC Wildfire Service has not implemented any backcountry closures. All trails and backroads that are not affected by Area Restriction Orders, Evacuation Orders, or are otherwise under municipal jurisdiction, remain open for public use. Members of the public must remain vigilant and act responsibly when recreating in the backcountry. Know before you go: check the local fire danger rating, download the BC Wildfire Service app and stay up to date with location-specific wildfire information. 

 

Wildfires of Note 


There are nine Wildfires of Note within the Cariboo Fire Centre. Three fires are now being managed by an Incident Management Team (Succour Lake, Flat Lake, and S of Canim Lake). Below is a summary for your information, and you can also find these details on the Wildfire of Note page which is updated twice daily. Before this summary is sent out, the Wildfire of Note pages will be updated.  

 

Purdy Lake 

The wildfire is estimated to be 7800 hectares in size. Personnel and heavy equipment are working to make improvements to existing roads and using natural features to create defendable fire guards. They are also working to establish egress routes and safety zones. BC Parks have been engaged regarding suppression in the Kluskoil park.   

An Evacuation Alert has been issued by the Cariboo Regional District. This Evacuation Alert area now borders the Evacuation Alert issued by the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako for the Grizzly Lake wildfire in the Prince George Fire Centre. 

 

McKinley Lake 

The McKinley Lake wildfire is 1834 hectares in size. Optimal conditions on site today, including scattered precipitation, cooler temperatures, and higher relative humidity have allowed crews to make good progress. Little to no fire growth is expected today. 

An Evacuation Alert issued by the Cariboo Regional District for Crooked Lake remains in effect.  

 

Chasm  

The Chasm wildfire is 374 hectares. Personnel and equipment are working today to contain escapes on the southwest corner. Contingency guards have been established and crews are continuing to establish guards around the fire. 

An Evacuation Alert has been issued by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.  

 

Young Lake  

The Young Lake wildfire is estimated at 680 hectares. This fire is being managed by the Sparks Lake Incident Management Team.  

 

Big Stick Lake 

The wildfire north of Big Stick Lake is estimated to be 5,850 hectares in size. The wildfire was fairly calm yesterday with the cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity on site. The fire has impacted Highway 20. As of today, Highway 20 near Kleena Kleene is open, with Dawson Road Maintenance piloting members of the public through when it is safe to do so. Crews are working today to keep Hwy 20 protected. Telus fibre optic lines in the area have not been compromised. 

An Evacuation Order is in effect for the Big Stick wildfire area. This order replaces the Evacuation Alert issued by the Cariboo Regional District on July 10.  

An Evacuation Alert issued by the Cariboo Regional District has been expanded and remains in effect for the Big Stick wildfire area. 

 

Hotnarko Creek 

The Hotnarko Creek wildfire is estimated at 1500 hectares. The wildfire was fairly calm yesterday with cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity. Personnel and equipment are working today to establish containment lines along Highway 20. Hwy 20 is reopened from 0300-1100 with pilot cars escorting the public through when it is safe to do so.   

Churn Creek Protected Area – No longer a Wildfire of Note. 

 

Summary of other wildfires  

Below is a summary of some of the active fires, by zone, as of today. For current sizes on wildfires not listed below, please check the All Current Wildfires web page. 

 

Quesnel Fire Zone 

There are ten active wildfires burning in this zone. 

·         C11552 – The wildfire burning south of Kluskus Lake is 28 hectares in size and is now classified as being held. BCWS personnel are continuing with fire suppression operations.    

 

Central Cariboo Zone 

There are three active wildfires burning in this zone.  

·         All three fires (C21722, C21747, and C21250) are now classified as under control. 

 

100 Mile Fire Zone 

The Incident Management Team is managing wildfires to the north of Highway 24 and east of Highway 97 within this zone. There are 32 active wildfires burning in this zone. All fires and reports of wildfires are continuing to be assessed and actioned in priority sequence. The most notable wildfires are: 

 

S of Canim Lake  

This wildfire is estimated at 1651 hectares. Crews remained on site overnight to establish structure protection and to maintain a sprinkler line in the area. Personnel and heavy equipment are continuing to establish fire guards and contingency guards.  

The Cariboo Regional District has upgraded the existing Evacuation Alert to an Evacuation Order on the south side of Canim Lake. The north side remains on an Evacuation Alert. 

 

Succour Lake 

The Succour Lake wildfire is estimated at 528 hectares. Crews have completed a hose lay around a large spot fire on the southeast flank and continue to suppress hot spots.  

The Cariboo Regional District has expanded the existing evacuation alerts on both the north and south sides of Canim Lake (See above). 

 

Flat Lake 

The Flat Lake wildfire is estimated at 10,000 hectares. Aggressive fire behaviour was observed yesterday evening. Crews remained on site throughout the evening to monitor the fire. Personnel and equipment are working to establish guards on the southeast flank of the fire today. Highway 97 has re-opened in both directions. The highway may be closed again on short notice. 

The Cariboo Regional District has upgraded the Evacuation Alert to an Evacuation Order and has issued an expanded Evacuation Alert. The District of 100 Mile House has also issued an Evacuation Alert. 

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