BC Firefight Stable But Facing Uncertain Weather

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Crews are continuing to build machine guards.

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Saini says a forecast with strong winds, showers and possible lightning for later today make it difficult to make a decision.

The winds should ease back by Monday and temperatures are expected to improve through the week.

She says the Wildfire Service hopes to get to any lightning-caused starts quickly.

Otherwise, the focus is will be on continuing to work on current large fires.

In the meantime, RCMP spokesperson Staff Sgt. Annie Linteau says some permits have been issued for people allowing them to go into some evacuated areas in preparation of evacuation orders being lifted.

Linteau says those permits do not allow access for children.

Linteau also says there have been no further reports of looting.

She advises that anyone who returns home and discovers any sign of unauthorized entry should call RCMP Immediately.

So far, it appears the return of residents to 100 Mile House is going well.

Norm Parks with The Ministry of Transportation says it’s been very smooth, likely due to what he calls a well-planned and well-executed re-entry.

Chris Duffy with Emergency Management BC says there are approximately 30 thousand 256 people under evacuation order across the province.

There are 40 evacuation orders currently in place and 47 alerts.

The Wildfire Service says there are currently 152 fires burning in BC.

Nine new fires started on Saturday.

Five of them were caused by lightning, scattered throughout the southern sections of the province.

One of them was human-caused.

It was in the Southeast Fire Centre.

Navi Saini says it wasn’t a fire that grew significantly and threatened no communities.

She says it appears it was just a spot-sized fire that crews have been able to control.

Three of the other new fires yesterday are still under investigation.

The Verdant Creek Fire near the BC – Alberta border now covers an estimated four thousand 162 hectares.

It is burning near Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park and forced the closure of the park Saturday night.

The Gustafsen fire is estimated at 5700 hectares and is 90 per cent contained.

Crews are extinguishing hot spots and do mop up.

The Hanceville-Riske Creek fire is estimated at 131 thousand 958 hectares and is now 45 per cent contained.

Crews there are working on the southeast corner to protect against anticipated winds later this week.

The Elephant Hill fire, formerly called the Ashcroft Reserve fire, is 59 thousand 158 hectares and 30 per cent contained.

Increased fire activity is anticipated with the winds that are in the forecast.

So far this year, there have been 739 fires in BC covering 369 674 hectares.

The provincial cost of fighting them is 125.8 million dollars.

Saini says 4 thousand and eighty-two firefighters and other personnel battling the fires.

That includes 987 from out-of-province and one thousand 602 contractors.

One and ninety-one aircraft are being used in support of the ground crews.