Crews continue to battle dozens of active wildfires across B.C.
As of Sunday evening, 39 active wildfires burned in B.C., none posing a potential threat to public safety
Wildfire officials are crediting the public for reporting smoke and flames during a weekend that recorded dozens of new wildfires in B.C.
Thunderstorms are suspected to have caused 22 of them, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. As of Sunday evening, there were a total of 39 active wildfires in the province, mainly in the Southern Interior.
No wildfires posed a potential threat to public safety. Two of the largest are the Solco Creek wildfire, 27 kilometres northeast of Oliver, at approximately 13.8 hectares in size. It is classified as out of control.
A wildfire near Green Mountain on Vancouver Island is estimated to be 16 hectares and is also classified as out of control.
A new wildfire near the Rose Valley Reservoir, around 10 kilometres northeast of Kelowna, was reported Sunday afternoon.
The fire was "particularly visible" to the public from Highway 97, said Gagan Lidhran, fire information officer with the Kamloops Fire Centre.
Numerous calls from the public allowed firefighters to respond quickly, she added. The fire remains out of control.
"We'd like to extend a huge thank you to the public for their due diligence," Lidhran said.
The Rose Valley Dam wildfire (K50848) fire is estimated to be 2 Ha in size and is classified as out of control. Three initial attack crews and a 20-person unit crew are responding to the fire, with additional support from aerial resources and the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WestKelowna?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WestKelowna</a> Fire Rescue. <a href="https://t.co/TLlx02NNBO">pic.twitter.com/TLlx02NNBO</a>
—@BCGovFireInfoAs of Sunday evening, the fire was approximately five hectares in size and burning uphill to the east, away from populated areas and not affecting the reservoir or water supply West Kelowna Fire Rescue said.
People are asked to stay away from the area so crews, helicopters and air tankers can continue to work quickly, fire chief Jason Brolund said in an email.
A small wildfire in Lytton, B.C., that was sparked Saturday evening when an allegedly impaired driver crashed into a hydro pole has been declared extinguished.
Hot and dry weather
A recent spate of hot and dry weather throughout B.C. has raised wildfire danger ratings in some areas.
The danger rating is moderate or high in some areas of the Kamloops Fire Centre Region, Lidhran said.
The public should keep an eye on fire bans and restrictions in the province and be prepared for camping, Lidhran added.
"Whenever you have hot and dry weather with fuels that have dried out in recent times, then there's always a risk of wildfire," she said.
"We always caution the public that if they are on Crown land, to always make sure that you have a shovel, eight litres of water and a fuel break surrounding your campfire."