Wildfires

Following several record-breaking wildfire seasons in B.C., 2025 has brought some relief for the Southeast Fire Centre, with year-to-date statistics showing one of the quietest fire seasons in recent memory. 

A wildfire west of Ymir has grown to 335 hectares after two smaller fires merged together. 

Five new wildfires are burning in the region as a result of lightning over the long weekend, including one between Ymir and Kootenay Lake that is 55 hectares.

Wildfire smoke from a blaze on Vancouver Island has drifted into the Kootenays, according to the BC Wildfire Service. 

Lightning sparked over 40 wildfires in the region last week, according to the BC Wildfire Service.  

B.C. Wildfire Services are responding to the MacLeod Creek wildfire, located approximately eight kilometres north of Nakusp on the east side of Highway 23.

The Kootenay region has one of the lowest rates of human-caused wildfires in the province. 

Category 2 open burning will be prohibited across the Southeast Fire Centre starting Friday, July 11 at 12 p.m.  

Snowpacks in the Kootenays are considerably lower this June compared to last June, but the BC Wildfire Service says that doesn’t automatically mean this wildfire season will be worse.

BC Wildfire Service will support Interfor in conducting a hazard abatement burn in the Tillicum area.

Wildfire officials say the one-hectare blaze discovered Tuesday south of Gray Creek is being held and new ones have sparked in the West Kootenay.

A human caused fire is burning out of control in the Gray Creek area on the east shore of Kootenay Lake.