Nine new fires in Kamloops Fire Centre following thousands of lightning strikes

A stormy evening in Kamloops and the Okanagan resulted in a number of lightning-caused wildfires overnight.

Meteorologist Bobby Sekhon says weather stations in the Okanagan didn’t measure any record amounts of precipitation last night, Sept. 3, but up to five millimetres were recorded at various locations in the Thompson-Okanagan. More significantly, he says, 4,000 lightning strikes were recorded last night.

B.C. Wildfire fire information officer Taylor MacDonald says nine new fires are burning in the Kamloops Fire Centre following the storms, which brought widespread lightning and, fortunately, heavy rain to some areas. None of the fires are threatening property at this time.

Most of the fires are considered spot sized, except for the Olalla Creek wildfire approximately 10 kilometres north of Keremeos, which broke out late yesterday afternoon, and is now at two hectares.

B.C. Wildfire personnel are working four fires in the South Okanagan Similkameen, including 27 personnel and heavy equipment on the Ollalla Creek wildfire, three personnel on the spot-sized Darke Creek wildfire and one helicopter assessing the Steward Creek wildfire.

A spot-sized fire is also burning three kilometres west of Okanagan Falls near Mount Mclelland.

Two new wildfires are burning in the Princeton area, one of which is under control and the other a small spot-sized fire burning 20 km northwest of Princeton.

In the North Okanagan, a small spot-sized fire started about 10 km northwest of Armstrong and is being actioned by four B.C. wildfire personnel.

Another spot-sized fire eight km northeast of Cache Creek is being tended by three wildfire personnel today. There is also a spot-sized fire burning five km southeast of Lillooet, MacDonald says.

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