West Kootenay wildfire situation heats up

The West Kootenay wildfire map is now lit up like a Christmas tree, following the discovery of several more lightning-caused fires over the weekend.

The largest of them is the Slocan Bluffs fire, which stands at a little under ten hectares. It broke out Saturday a few kilometers north of Slocan.

Meanwhile, the Gamble Creek fire east of Salmo is about 4.5 hectares. It was discovered Friday.

Many other much smaller fires are burning too, including the West Kokanee fire, the Mount Heimdal fire, and the Mulvey Creek fire, and two fires at Koch Creek.

There is also a cluster of small fires south of Galena Bay.

The largest fire in our region remains the Briggs Creek fire west of Kaslo, at nearly 1,700 hectares. Fourteen rural properties at South Fork have been on evacuation alert for two weeks.

The BC Wildfire Service says the fire remains visible on the face between Kemp Creek and Nashton Creek. Winds on Saturday pushed the fire away from containment lines along the east and north flanks. As they expected, stronger winds and higher temperatures increased smoke and fire behavior compared to recent days.

Ten firefighters are assigned to the blaze with the support of a helicopter.

“Where opportunities exist small-scale ignitions will continue to be conducted to ensure the fire isn’t allowed to gain upslope momentum,” the BC Wildfire Service wrote.

Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-30s for the rest of the week, with no rain in sight.

Continue Reading

chnv Now playing play

ckkc Now playing play

- Advertisement -

Related Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest News

Support local seniors through Kootenay Seniors’ 50/50 Raffle

Win up to $10,000 while helping seniors get where they need to go.

B.C. adds 5k jobs in June, led by gains in part-time work

British Columbia added 5,000 jobs in June but saw a dip in full-time employment, according to the latest jobs report from Statistics Canada. 

B.C. maintains decision to end drug coverage for girl with rare, fatal disease

B.C. is standing by the decision not to continue drug coverage for a Vancouver Island girl with a rare, fatal disease. 

Measles cases reported in B.C. this year top 100

B.C.’s health officials have said 102 cases of measles have been reported across B.C. so far this year, with most of those in the Northern Health region.

Puck drop date set for KIJHL season

The puck will drop on the 2025-26 KIJHL regular season on Friday, September 19, when the league’s 21 teams each embark on a 44-game schedule.
- Advertisement -