Bc Wildfire
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...
Cisco Road wildfire evacuation alert rescinded
LYTTON – The Regional District Emergency Operations Centre has rescinded the evacuation alert for roughly 60 properties near the Cisco Road wildfire near Lytton.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...
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...
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...
Smoke leads Vernon firefighters to the Ministry of Forests
VERNON - The Vernon Fire Department attended the scene of a fire Tuesday not knowing the Ministry of Forests set it on purpose. The B.C Wildfire Management Branch planned the controlled burn just off Highway 97 in the Predator Ridge area but didn’t give the Vernon Fire Department any notice. Deputy fire chief Jack Blair...
Prescribed burns planned for Kenna Cartwright Park
KAMLOOPS - Expect to see smoke in the air later this month as the city works to protect our large urban nature park from a potentially catastrophic fire. The City of Kamloops is working with B.C. Wildfire performing a prescribed burn in Kenna Cartwright Park with the hope of completing it this month. Starting later...
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...
Hazy sky likely from northern fires
KAMLOOPS - It could just be a haze in the sky today but it is more likely smoke from more northern fires we are continuing to see fill our valley. B.C. Wildfire information officer Melissa Klassen says the smoke in the air could be attributed to the more than 15,000 hectares of fires north of...