Keremeos Creek Wildfire now an estimated 6,836 hectares

The Keremeos Creek Wildfire is currently 6,836 hectares in size, having grown nearly 1,000 hectares due to planned ignitions carried out over the last few days.

BC Wildfire said it has made progress in the interface areas. Favourable conditions Monday night allowed for hotspotting and mop-up in the interface, Highway 3A and key sections of the guard.

1:53 Crews battling Keremeos Creek Wildfire brace for potential lightning in forecast

“Burning debris continues to fall overnight and is promptly actioned where safe to do so,” BC Wildfire said in an update.

Tuesday will be sunny with a max temperature of 29 C and minimum RH of 15 per cent, while winds are expected to be light.

“An upper ridge remains over the region, generating hot and dry conditions under a stable airmass,” BC Wildfire said. “This morning there is an inversion near 1,500 metres, which will break near noon. With light winds, venting will be poor to fair.”

4:05 405 firefighters battling the Keremeos Creek wildfire in B.C.’s Interior

When the inversion lifts, crews plan to engage in planned ignitions to fortify and consolidate key sections of hand and machine guard on the western and northern flanks of the fire.

They said strong gains continue to be made and held. There are 256 wildland firefighters assigned to this fire working with an additional 157 structural protection personnel from fire departments across B.C. for a total crew complement of 413 firefighters.

“Today crews continue to apply direct attack and ignition operations to achieve clean black containment, working to encircle the fire along the western and northern flanks thanks to increasingly stable lines on the southern and eastern sides of the fire,” the update indicated.

“Key work areas today include Olalla FSR, Green Mountain Road to the north, Keremeos Creek FSR, Winter Creek, the Apex Mountain Resort area, Cedar Creek, and Dividend Mountain.”