Lightning sparked over 40 wildfires in the region last week, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
Southeast Fire Centre information officer Alex Robinson said that between July 30 and Aug. 5, more than 5,800 lightning strikes were recorded in the region, igniting 43 fires – mostly at mid‑to high‑elevation areas.
Of those, seven fires remain out of control.
“Variable precipitation amounts and overall conditions helped limit fire behaviour for most of the new fires,” Robinson said.
“That allowed our initial attack crews to work quickly to limit any spread. Only three of these fires are currently larger than one hectare.”
The largest fire is located north of Mount Mackie, about 1.5 km south of Highway 3 between Castlegar and Rossland, and has grown to 153 hectares.
“The fire is not currently threatening structures or infrastructure, and Highway 3 remains open,” Robinson said.
“That being said, smoke may intermittently reduce visibility. We’re asking people not to stop on the highway and to remain aware of potentially changing road conditions.”
Fire danger ratings in the Southeast Fire Centre currently range from low to moderate, with some pockets of very low danger and small areas of high danger in the Boundary region.
Lightning remains a concern, as the same weather pattern is forecast to continue until midweek.
“While the fire danger rating is lower than usual for this time of year, new fires continue to be detected and the forecast calls for similar conditions through Wednesday before a cooler period arrives on Thursday.”
Despite a milder fire season so far, Robinson reminded residents that risks persist – especially with campfires.
“Although the summer has been cooler and wetter in many areas, it is still early August. We’re urging people to be responsible with their campfire use, check DriveBC for road closures before travelling, and refer to official sources – such as the BC Wildfire Service app or online map and local governments for any evacuation updates.”
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