The Hullcar Mountain wildfire (photo courtesy of the Splatsin First nation / website)

By Liam Verster

Wildfire Operations

Mop-up operations continue at area wildfire

Aug 14, 2024 | 12:51 PM

Two wildfires in the North Okanagan remain at low risk of any further growth, with resources still assigned to one of them.

The B.C. Wildfire Service reclassified the Hullcar Mountain fire, located near Splatsin First Nation, and the Sitkum Creek blaze, near Sugar Lake, as Being Held over the past weekend.

Under the classification, the BWCS said the fires were likely to remain within the current perimeter, control line or boundary.

The provincial firefighting agency said Wednesday (Aug. 14) that crews would be continuing mop-up operations on the west flank of the Hullcar fire near Haines Creek South Forest Service Road, where they are pushing inward to extend a 50-foot edge to a 100-foot fire barrier.

Crews were also assigned to the south flank of the fire near Splatsin to patrol the fire line and extinguish any hot spots.

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The BCWS told Vernon Matters there were 50 personnel, one bucketing helicopter, two pieces of heavy equipment and six water tenders assigned to the Hullcar fire as of Wednesday morning. The firefighting agency added there were other aerial resources working in the area that could be deployed to Hullcar if needed.

Meanwhile, crews were taken off the Sitkum Creek wildfire Wednesday, though the BCWS did tell Vernon Matters that the fitre was being monitored and resources could be sent there if needed.

The Mara Mountain fire was still classified as Out of Control Wednesday with no resources assigned, though the BCWS noted the situation there was being monitored as well.

The Hullcar Mountain fire was estimated to have burnt 784 hectares of terrain, while the size of the Sitkum fire was 1,261.9 hectares and the Mara Mountain blaze was 281.4 hectares. The BCWS said all three fires were either Rank 1 or 2, meaning they were mostly smoldering ground fires, and that smoke may still be visible from the sites, especially during the hottest parts of the day.