Cool weather and rain have helped B.C. Wildfire bring the Lost Valley Road Fire under control.
B.C. Wildfire communications specialist Talia McKay said the wildfire is currently being held at 113 hectares. McKay said the evacuation alert issued by the TNRD for 27 nearby properties was rescinded on Monday, May 1. The Lost Valley is no longer considered a fire of note.
“The weather is favourable right now with no growth expected. They received rain last night and ground crews are currently patrolling and doing mop-up,” McKay said. “In the next few days, they’re looking at doing an aerial thermal scan. Once that’s complete they will prioritize areas to action based on those results.”
Until Sunday and Monday’s rain, B.C. Wildfire was dealing with hot, dry conditions and strong winds. This allowed the Lost Valley Fire, first discovered on Saturday, April 29 to spread fast. McKay said the arrival of the cool weather was very beneficial.
The wet weather also assisted in the containment of the 57 Creek Fire which was brought under control at 10 and a half hectares on Saturday. Ground crews are still working on extinguishing the fire, but McKay said at this time there’s no concern that it will spread further.
McKay said the cause of both fires is still under investigation but it’s likely they were both human-caused. She said this is a good reminder for the public that the majority of wildfires that start in the spring are human-caused and therefore preventable.
“A lot of it can be prevented just by people being cautious,” McKay said.
The Cariboo Fire Centre put out an information bulletin on Friday, April 28 informing the public that a Category Three fire ban is going into effect on Thursday, May 4 at noon.
“We have to give the public and commercial interest a little bit of time,” BCWS) community engagement specialist Madison Dahl said. “Conditions are not ideal for burning but it gives people time to extinguish their Category Three fires that are burning.”
Dahl encourages the public to report any signs of fire they see by using the BC Wildfire App or calling 1-800-663-5555 (toll-free) or *5555 on a cellphone.
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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