Wildfire activity within B.C showed no sign of slowing down this September long weekend.
Chief Fire Information Officer with BC Wildfire Service, Kevin Skrepnek says as of Tuesday, September 5 there are 162 wildfires including 4 new ones that started Monday, burning across the province.
Since April 1, 2017, the Service has responded to 1,207 wildfires across BC that have burned an estimated 1,148,928 hectares.
Costs to date are estimated at $464.6 million.
Cariboo Wildfire Update as of September 5:
Winds from the north over the long weekend resulted in the Elephant Hill fire burning away from Sheridan Lake.
Fire Information Officer Noelle Kekula explains.
“Because we’ve generally been seeing them from the south over the past while, it switched from the north. The fire definitely grew, but there were no structures lost and it pushed it back south away from the Sheridan, Green Lake, Interlakes area.”
Kekula says the Elephant Hill Fire as of today is estimated 192, 725 hectares and is 50% contained. She says resources have been increased to build and strengthen the control lines at the head of the fire, and that their goal is to get a 500-meter black line on the edge of the north flank.
Pending weather conditions, crews will also continue with a burn off operation on the south side of the Green Lake to create a clear and safer perimeter where ground crews can work. The burn will cover about 650 hectares north of Tin Cup Lake and south of Jim Mountain, and will increase the amount of smoke in the area.
At 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 3, an updated area restriction for all Crown land in the vicinity of the Elephant Hill wildfire came into effect and will remain in force until noon on Oct. 31 or until the order is rescinded.
Increased temperatures meanwhile had caused increased fire behavior in the south portions of the Hanceville-Riske Creek Fire which is now 50% contained and estimated at 239,657 hectares. Â
Precipitation over the long weekend was able to help fire suppression efforts on the province’s largest wildfire in history.
Various amounts of precipitation were recorded across the Plateau Fire yesterday.
Forecasted hot, dry conditions over the next several days are expected however to cause continued growth.
The Plateau Fire as of today is estimated at 520,979 hectares.