Darke Creek wildfire in Okanagan now considered held; evacuation alert rescinded

The Darke Creek wildfire burning near Summerland is now considered held, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.

“Significant progress was made (Wednesday) morning,” BCWS fire information officer Shelley Zupp said of the five-hectare blaze, adding there were 21 firefighters on the scene, along with aerial support from helicopters and skimmers.

As a result of that progress, an evacuation alert issued by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen for Darke Lake Valley was rescinded on Wednesday afternoon. The alert included several properties on Fish Lake Road and Osborne Road plus Darke Lake Provincial Park.

Breezy conditions the last two days have helped lift smoke from the Okanagan, which allowed air support to resume. In turn, the BCWS says with increased air activity expected, boaters and the public “must stay clear of fire-fighting aircraft. When they see them using the lakes, they need to give them plenty of room.”

In the Similkameen, the Old Tom Creek wildfire, burning seven kilometres west of Olalla, had an increase in firefighters, from 65 on Tuesday to 75 on Wednesday. The fire is estimated at 527 hectares.

“We have a set of resources that are assigned to this (regional) complex,” said B.C. Wildfire Service information officer Nicole Bonnett. “That allows us to reallocate them between incidents as needed.”

The fire is classified as out of control, but Bonnett said “most of our fires remain as out of control for quite some time when they’re on the larger size. It’s not indicative of what’s happening on the ground. Until we’re confident that it won’t spread outside of its existing fire perimeter, it will be in the out of control stage.”

Also, the Cool Creek wildfire has grown in size, from 6,000 hectares on Tuesday to 6,900 hectares on Wednesday.

“We have crews and heavy equipment that have been working out there the last couple of days, and they’re out there again today,” said Bonnett.

Fire crews are working on establishing control lines, though the terrain is described as rugged.

Below is a list of notable fires in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Boundary regions:

OKANAGAN

Darke Creek

• Location: 12 kilometres northwest of Summerland.
• Size: Approximately 5.5 hectares.
• Status: Active, new.

Mount Gottfriedsen

• Location: Pennask Mountain, near Highway 97C, 24 kilometres west of West Kelowna.
• Size: 615 hectares.
• Cause: Lightning.
• Status: Active, but classified as under control. Fifty-two personnel on site, which includes military personnel, along with four pieces of heavy equipment.
• BCWS notes: “Spots discovered in green islands within the fire perimeter as well as outside outside the control line. Hotter and drier conditions experienced earlier than previous days. Objectives include to continue grid patrol of areas of concern outside the perimeter and prepare for scan in the next couple days.”

Harris Creek Forest Service Road

• Location: 16 kilometres southeast of Lumby.
• Size: 508 hectares.
• Cause: Lightning.
• Status: Active, classified as out of control. Thirty-two personnel on site along with five pieces of heavy equipment and five helicopters.

Sugar Mountain

• Location: Four kilometres east of Sugar Lake.
• Size: 394 hectares.
• Cause: Under investigation.
• Status: Active, classified as out of control. Zero personnel on site though five helicopters are bucketing the fire.
• BCWS notes: “An area restriction order was put in place on August 4 and remains in force until the earlier of 12:00 noon on September 15 or until the order is rescinded. The order is for crown land in the vicinity of Sugar Lake (west of Sugar Lake). This order was put in place to address a public safety concern arising from the Sugar Mountain wildfire and in order to avoid interference with fire control.”

Mabel Creek

• Location: Six kilometres east of Mabel Lake.
• Size: 1,861 hectares.
• Cause: Under investigation; suspected lightning caused.
• Status: Active, classified as out of control. Fourteen personnel on site with five helicopters and seven pieces of heavy equipment. An area restriction order is in place for crown land in the vicinity of Mabel Lake.
• BCWS notes: “The potential for aggressive fire behaviour exists due to continued drying over last 10 – 17 days. Expect the inversion to break near 25 degrees Celsius in the early afternoon, this may cause localized erratic winds effecting fire behaviour. Temperatures will rise, relative humidity will drop, and winds will likely increase and become erratic. Fire behavior potential may increase rapidly with high indices.”

Whip Creek

• Location: Three kilometres south of Mabel Creek wildfire
• Size: 504 hectares.
• Cause: Lightning.
• Status: Active.

Juliet Creek

• Location: 47 kilometres southwest of Merritt.
• Size: 1,238 hectares.
• Cause: Lightning.
• Status: Active, classified as out of control. Sixty-eight personnel on site along with eight pieces of heavy equipment. Air support available as needed.
• BCWS notes: “The potential for aggressive fire behavior exists with fast rates of spreads and elevated intensities in all fuel types. Gusty winds may lead to erratic fire behaviour and spotting. Fire activity remains more intense in some of the deeper drainages within the fire perimeter. Crews will continue to mop up edge to 50 feet from Michael Lake to alpine on south flank. Danger tree assessment and falling will continue as required.”

SIMILKAMEEN

Cool Creek

• Location: 35 kilometres west of Keremeos.
• Size: 6,900 hectares.
• Cause: Lightning.
• Status: Active, classified as out of control. Twenty-five personnel on site along with 19 pieces of heavy equipment. Air support available as needed.
• BCWS notes: “Firefighters, heavy equipment and aviation resources have been assigned to the incident. They will be working on establishing control lines up the flanks of the fire and around the northerly most spot.”

Old Tom Creek

• Location: Seven kilometres west of Olalla.
• Size: 527 hectares.
• Cause: Lightning.
• Status: Active, classified as out of control. Seventy-five personnel on site with 11 pieces of heavy equipment. Air support available as needed.
• BCWS notes: “Ground crews, heavy equipment and air tankers have been utilised to create new containment lines or tie into natural lines, roads and retardant drops. High winds resulted in an escalation of fire behaviour and saw some small growth of the fire. Heavy equipment will continue to assist ground crews in consolidation of control lines and completion of contingency lines.”

Snowy Mountain

• Location: 14 kilometres south of Keremeos.
• Size: 13,359 hectares.
• Cause: Lightning.
• Status: Active; classified as being held. Eight personnel on site.
• BCWS notes: “The steep terrain is inoperable in some areas, and poses a safety risk to firefighting personnel. Crews are being strategically placed where it is safe and where suppression objectives can be met.”

BOUNDARY

Lynch Creek

• Location: 25 kilometres north of Grand Forks.
• Size: 125 hectares.
• Cause: Under investigation.
• Status: Active; classified as under control. Thirty-three personnel on site with two pieces of heavy equipment.
• BCWS notes: “This fire is in ‘under control’ status meaning that the fire has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of this fire. Crews continue to mop up and patrol for hotspots around the fire perimeter.”

Bulldog Mountain

• Location: 32 kilometres northwest of Castlegar.
• Size: 605 hectares.
• Cause: Lightning.
• Status: Active. Twenty-two personnel on site, along with five pieces of heavy equipment.
• BCWS notes: “As a precautionary measure and in the interest of public safety, the Regional District of Central Kootenay has issued an evacuation alert for nine addresses located south of Renata on Lower Arrow Lake. An area restriction is in effect for the area within the boundary of Dog Creek, Grass Creek, Bulldog Eight Forest Service Road and the height of land connecting the noted perimeters.”

Syringa Creek

• Location: 16 kilometres northwest of Castlegar.
• Size: 649 hectares.
• Cause: Lightning.
• Status: Active.
• BCWS notes: “As a precautionary measure, and in the interest of public safety, the Regional District of Central Kootenay has issued an alert for all of Syringa Provincial Park and southeast along Lower Arrow Lake to the Hugh Keenleyside Dam in Robson.”

Santa Rosa / Horns Mountain

• Location: Washington state and B.C.; 13 kilometres southeast of Christina Lake and 22 km southwest of Rossland.
• Size: Washington state (2,932 acres / 1,186 hectares) and B.C. (636 acres / 257 hectares).
• Cause: Lightning.
• Status: Active. Forty personnel on site, along with 11 pieces of heavy equipment.
• BCWS notes: “Crews continue to make good progress on containment lines. Crews are working with the aid of heavy equipment to strengthen containment lines on the north flank of this fire. Crews are continuing to mop up the north flank of this fire by bring water along the containment line.”
• USFS notes: “With the clearing of smoke, aviation resources were able to help those on the ground.  The helicopters assigned to the fire were joined by two Blackhawk helicopters from the Washington Air National Guard.”