B.C. Wildfire Service responding to 9 new fires in the northwest
Majority of fires are smaller than 1 hectare and were detected in the past 24 hours
The B.C. Wildfire Service is responding to nine new fires that have been started in the Northwest Fire Centre since July 5 by lighting storms.
Most of the fires were detected in the past 24 hours and are smaller than one hectare, according to a written statement from the service.
Smoke that is visible in some parts of the Cassiar Fire Zone, including the communities of Iskut, Dease Lake, Telegraph Creek and Atlin, is due to several large wildfires burning in the Yukon and Alaska.
More lightning is expected throughout the Northwest Fire Centre on Monday and Tuesday, and the B.C. Wildfire Service is conducting ongoing air and ground patrols to monitor the region for new wildfires.
List of new fires
In the Nadina Fire Zone, there is one fire about 75 kilometres west of Houston near the Burnie River, that is currently being held.
In the Bulkley Fire Zone, crews are on site at a fire about four kilometres southwest of Witset on the north side of Duckwing Lake. It is a smouldering ground fire and covers less than one hectare.
There are three fires in the Skeena fire zone —one 30 kilometres south of Terrace, one 3.5 kilometres northeast of Bell II, and one 35 kilometres east of Kitimat, which is currently classified as out of control and is being worked on by crews.
There are three fires in the Cassiar Fire Zone. One is 33 kilometres southwest of Bob Quinn Lake and is currently classified as out of control and is being responded to by crews supported by aircraft.
Another fire is in remote terrain, about 135 kilometres northwest of Dease Lake. It covers 250 hectares and is currently classified as out of control. The B.C. Wildfire Service is monitoring the fire and currently devising a response plan.
The third fire is about 40 kilometres west of Atlin, covers about six hectares and is currently classified as out of control. A plan is also being devised to tackle this fire.