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'Progress' on Monashee Complex Fires

‘Progress’ on Monashee Complex Fires

Aug 20, 2018 | 5:37 PM

Good progress is being reported on the Monashee Complex fires in the North Okanagan.

Fourteen fires make up that complex, most in the area of Lumby and Cherryville, but none near communities.

Shelley Zupp from the BC Wildfire Service says there have been no changes to the size of the three main fires.

“No major growth. We’re still looking at the Mabel Creek fire, the size is 1,861 hectares. Sugar Mountain is at 394, and the Harris Creek fire is 511 hectares,” says Zupp.

“Despite the visibility issues with smoke, good progress was being made on all the fires. And even though the smoke prevented us from flying, it is advantageous in that it keeps the temperatures down and the relative humidity up, which decreases fire behaviour.”

Zupp says up to 100 members of the Canadian Armed Forces will be arriving later this week, to provide ground assistance on the complex fires.

She says burn-off operations are planned for some of the fire sites, including Mabel Creek and Sugar Mountain, later this week, if conditions permit.

Click HERE for the latest Incident Update from the Wildfire Service.