Stock photo courtesy of the B.C. Wildfire Service

By Liam Verster

Wildfire Activity

UPDATE: Wildfire near Lumby Being Held

Jun 12, 2025 | 10:17 AM

— UPDATE 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 15 —

Wildfires burning in the North Okanagan are no longer posing a risk of spreading.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said the Ireland Creek wildfire, northeast of Lumby, was considered Being Held as of :45 p.m.Saturday.

The fire’s size was also downgraded to 8.77 hectares.

Meanwhile, the fire near Hidden Lake, east of Enderby, was reclassified as Under Control.

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The Ireland Creek wildfire was suspected of being caused by lightning, while human activity was suspected to have sparked the Hidden Lake fire.

–– UPDATE 8 a.m. Friday, June 13 —

The wildfire burning northeast of Lumby has seen significant growth.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says the Ireland Creek fire is now an estimated 10 hectares in size.

That’s more than double the previous estimate of 4.7 hectares.

The BCWS said the fire did not grow overnight, but instead the size was updated after an aerial crew was able to get a more accurate picture of the scope of the fire. It was noted the fire is located in an area with steep terrain so the initial estimate did not capture the full size.

The fire was rated Rank 1 Friday morning, indicating it was a smoldering ground fire.

The BCWS said a rappel crew, an initial attack crew and an additional firefighter was assigned to the fire Friday morning, with an additional unit joining the efforts in the afternoon, bringing the number of personnel assigned to the fire to around 30 members.

— UPDATE 2:30 p.m. Thursday, June 12–

One of the two wildfires that sparked in the North Okanagan Wednesday evening is no longer at risk of spreading.

The B.C. Wildfire Service reported that the 0.28 hectare wildfire near Hidden Lake, east of Enderby, was considered Under Control shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday, June 12.

The cause of that fire was still under investigation as of the latest report.

The BCWS was still actioning a 4.7 hectare wildfire near Ireland Creek, northeast of Lumby, as of Thursday afternoon. Resources assigned to that fire included an initial attack crew, a rappel crew, air tankers and skimmers.

The provincial firefighting agency urged people to report new fires by calling 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone, or by using the BCWS app.

— UPDATE 12:30 p.m. Thursday, June 12–

The B.C. Wildfire Services said resources were deployed to action the wildfires that sparked in the North Okanagan Wednesday night.

Speaking with Vernon Matters, Cali Nessman, a Fire Information Officer with the BCWS, said there were several members and resources actioning the fire near Ireland Creek, east of Vernon and northeast of Lumby, Thursday morning.

“We have one initial attack crew; two single resources, so just two personnel; and then one rappel, RAP attack crew; along with their helicopter tank team,” Nessman explained.

“We have had three air tankers on site, as well as the skimmers.”

That fire was still 4.7 hectares in size and classified as Out of Control as of the latest update, with the BCWS planning to do an aerial surveillance to get an update on the size later in the day Thursday.

Meanwhile, Nessman said a RAP attack crew had been dispatched to the Hidden Lake fire east of Enderby, with that one still estimated at 0.28 hectares and classified as Being Held.

The BCWS Fire Information Officer said the Ireland Creek fire was suspected of being caused by lighting, though that had not been confirmed as of yet, while the Hidden Lake fire’s case was still undetermined.

She noted there had been a storm that brought lighting strikes to the North Okanagan overnight Wednesday, and said those can spark fires depending on conditions such as humidity and heat.

She advised people who spot new wildfires report them immediately to the BCWS by calling 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone, or by using the BCWS app where people can also add photos of the fire.

— Original Story —

Two wildfires ignited in the North Okanagan on Wednesday night.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said a 4.7 hectare wildfire was discovered east of Vernon and northeast of Lumby near Ireland Creek, and as of the last update at 11:15 p.m. Wednesday was classified as Out of Control.

A 0.27 hectare wildfire also ignited near Hidden Lake, East of Enderby, though the BCWS said it was classified as Being Held at 7:10 p.m.

The red dot indicates the location of the Ireland Creek wildfire, while the yellow dot shows where the Hidden Lake fire was burning (image courtesy of the B.C. Wildfire Service)

The provincial firefighting agency said the cause of both fires was still under investigation.