Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Bc Wildfire

Preparing pets for fire evacuations

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With forest fires encroaching ever closer to homes around the province, the B.C. SPCA is encouraging animal owners to re-evaluate their emergency pet preparedness. Wildfires can quickly lead to evacuation orders and states of emergency, forcing people to leave their homes as quickly as possible. “When you’re ordered to evacuate, you need to...

UPDATE: Coldstream Creek fire near Ashcroft grows, evacuation alert issued

ASHCROFT - B.C. Wildfire crews are battling an aggressive lightning-caused wildfire south of Ashcroft today and locals are now on evacuation alert.  The fire was called in around 1 p.m. this afternoon, July 20, and quickly grew to 120 hectares. By 6 p.m. the fire had grown to 600 ha.  Properties on North Road, Landon...

Be fire safe, not sorry, when you use your tools and toys in the bush

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you plan on being a lumberjack or ripping around on your ATV in the bush this weekend, B.C. Wildfire Management is asking you to take into account the fire risk before firing up a chainsaw or starting up the quad. “If members of the public or industry personnel plan to do any...

Fire danger rating climbs back up despite rainfall

CAMPFIRE RESTRICTIONS STILL IN PLACE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fire danger ratings are back to a high rating for the majority of the province’s interior, with some pockets still rated as extreme. B.C. Wildfire information officer Kayla Pepper says a bit of rain lowered the rating to a low to moderate risk over the past week or...

Smoking ban begins in all Kamloops parks and trails

KAMLOOPS – Due to extreme fire hazard conditions smoking is now prohibited in all city parks and trails effective immediately. The ban, under the authority of the Kamloops Fire Chief, comes as the fire risk reaches an extreme level throughout much of the region. The ban includes, but is not limited to, Kenna Cartwright Park,...

UPDATE: Coquihalla partially reopens as crews fight wildfire near Othello

HOPE - A car fire just north of Hope on the Coquihalla Highway has spread to the neighbouring trees and partially shut down the highway. Drive B.C. is reporting that Highway 5 was closed in both directions from Highway 3 to Merritt because of a forest fire but that it has since partially reopened. As...

Smoke in South Okanagan from aggressive wildfire

KEREMEOS - A fire is burning in the remote wilderness of Snowy Creek Protected Area and causing smoke that is visible from Highway 3 and throughout the South Okanagan. B.C. Wildfire is estimating the aggressive fire at 90 hectares and says it is burning the high elevation grassland and timber surrounded by natural barriers. Crews...

Campfire bans in effect this weekend for B.C. Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Due to an elevated risk of fire across the Interior of B.C., the Kamloops Fire Centre has banned all open fires, including campfires, as of noon on Friday, July 3. Kelsey Winter of B.C. Wildfire says the step is being taken to prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety around Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon...

Weekend of fires fuelled by lightning

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – There were 35 fire starts this weekend in the Kamloops Fire Centre alone. Of those, 22 were caused by lightning, but the remaining 13 were believed to be human-caused. Penticton was the hottest fire zone in the region with 19 of the 35 starts this weekend, but Fire Information Officer Kelsey Winter says...

FINAL UPDATE: Wildfire near Zipzone Peachland contained

PEACHLAND – Wildfire Management threw everything they had at wildfire above Peachland this afternoon and it paid off. The blaze is now 100 per cent contained. Smoke from the fire near Zipzone Peachland on Brenda Mines Road was spotting at about 11:30 a.m., June 27. It grew to three hectares in size before crews and...

Cisco Road wildfire evacuation alert rescinded

LYTTON – The Regional District Emergency Operations Centre has rescinded the evacuation alert for roughly 60 properties near the Cisco Road wildfire near Lytton. The alert was issued at 9 p.m. June 11 for the west side of the Fraser River from the intersection of Lytton Ferry Rd. and South Spencer Rd., south to the...

Crews holding line on Cisco Road fire near Lytton

LYTTON - The large fire south of Lytton remains active as crews use controlled burns to help further contain the blaze. The fire, mapped at 1,270 ha this weekend, has not grown significantly over the last couple of days and remains at roughly 20 per cent contained. Controlled burn operations are taking place to the...

UPDATE: Firefighters gain ground on Lytton wildfire

UPDATED 10:11 A.M., JUNE 13 LYTTON – The wildfire burning across the Fraser River from Lytton is now 20 per cent contained and there wasn’t any significant growth on the huge blaze overnight. B.C. Wildfire Management says the fire is now 1,270 hectares in size today, June 14, down slightly from the 1,280 ha mapped...

More B.C. wildfire personnel headed to Alberta

KAMLOOPS - Forty-one B.C. wildfire personnel, including two unit crews and an agency representative, will join the 88 others deployed earlier this week to fight wildfires in Alberta.  Crews will be stationed in Edmonton, but could be deployed elsewhere throughout that province based on fire activity and need. Along with 129 personnel, B.C. sent two...

Premier asks you to burn responsibly this May long weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – In light of the unseasonably hot and dry conditions throughout the province, Premier Christy Clark is asking residents to be extra cautious this long weekend. "Every summer, the risk of fire increases. With many parts of the province facing unseasonably warm and dry weather, that risk increases even more — putting people's homes...

Fire danger ratings reach extreme

OPEN BURNING RESTRICTIONS START FRIDAY THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Open fires were already set to be restricted in many parts of the Kamloops fire centre beginning May 15 but with unseasonably warm and dry weather well under way, the entire fire centre will now be put under restrictions beginning this weekend. The Clearwater and Salmon Arm fire...

New wildfire recruits put through paces

MERRITT - More than 200 seasonal firefighter applicants have made the cut and this month they are being put through a ‘rigorous’ bootcamp near Merritt. About 1,000 people, many of which are post-secondary students, apply for the positions every year. Provincial Fire Information Officer Kevin Skrepnek says the job is "very in demand" and the...

Expect to see smoke along the Coquihalla this week

KAMLOOPS - A series of small burns north of Merritt, off the Coquihalla Highway, will be conducted by Wildfire Management Branch personnel starting this week. The controlled burns will take place Thursday, April 30, and Tuesday, May 5, and are in preparation for a training course that will help students determine the origin and cause...

Expect to see smoke in Kamloops today

KAMLOOPS - The City of Kamloops is undertaking another controlled burn today, this time at the Dallas Barnhartvale Nature Park. The city worked with B.C. Wildfire on prescribed burns within Kenna Cartwright Park back in March and with the venting index at a good level today, April 23, burn piles will now be ignited at...

More controlled burns planned for Lytton area

LYTTON - With a goal of reducing interface wildfire risk and restoring natural ecosystems B.C. Wildfire will be in the Lytton area over the next two weeks performing prescribed burns. This year work will be done in a subdivision above Loring Way east of Lytton, in Skihist Provincial Park and in an area northwest of...

STAHN: Why we need more controlled burns in urban areas

Let me start by stating a simple fact we all need to understand — fire is natural. Not only is it natural, it is a much needed part of the ecological cycle. Regular fire is needed to keep noxious weeds at bay, to help encourage new growth and to keep wildfires from getting out of...

IN PHOTOS: Controlled burns helping Kenna ecosystem

KAMLOOPS - Highly visible prescribed burns are underway at Kenna Cartwright Park and two local natural resource professors are happy the work is finally being done. Wendy Gardner and John Karakatsoulis both say the burns are necessary to bring the park back to its natural state and allow native vegetation to flourish. “This park is...