The most recent image depicting the area of the SitkumC reek wildfire (image courtesy of the B.C. Wildfire Service)

By Liam Verster

Wildfire Activity

Cooler weather helped keep down Sitkum Creek wildfire

Jul 26, 2024 | 1:44 PM

The Sitkum Creek wildfire’s ranking was downgraded Friday, July 26.

The B.C. Wildfire Service confirmed the fire burning near Sugar Lake, northeast of Lumby, was at Rank 1 as of the morning of July 26.

“Rank 1 is a smoldering ground fire, there’s not really any open flame, there might be a couple pockets here and there but that’s it, and then it has a slow rate of spread,” Cassidy Martin, a fire information officer with the BCWS, told Vernon Matters.

“[Thursday] it was ranked 2, 3, and pockets of 4. That’s a good change from our perspective. The Rank 3 is an organized flame, there’s occasional candling (fire going up trees) and a moderate rate of spread, darker smoke, that sort of thing. So this is a great change.”

The BCWS attributed the decrease in the ranking to cooler weather Thursday and through the night, and while some rain fell in the region, though Martin could not say how much precipitation fell on the area during that time or what direct role in played in quenching the fire.

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The provincial firefighting agency still had a team of 24 wildland firefighters assigned to the western front of the Sitkum Creek wildfire, with assistance from one bucketing helicopter.

A structure protection crew was assigned to the fire earlier in the week to conduct assessments, though Martin said they had left the scene but could be called back if needed.

The fire was still classified as Out of Control Friday and suspected of being caused by lightning.

The Regional District of North Okanagan’s Evacuation Order remained in place for the eastern side of the Sugar Lake recreation area, and an Alert was also still in effect for the western shore.