The Horseshoe Lake wildfire in the North Okanagan near Armstrong, B.C., is now classified as held, and an evacuation alert for the Round Lake Road area has been rescinded.
“At last operational update, (the fire) was listed at 3.2 hectares in size, so no growth overnight,” explained BC Wildfire Service fire information officer, Taylor Shantz.
“There are nine BC Wildfire crew returning to the site today to continue mop-up activities, and they have a full containment line around the fire, and it is still listed as being held.”
Despite quick action from the public by reporting this fire, steep terrain and extreme heat made this fire difficult for crews to get the upper hand.
“The terrain has been a challenge throughout firefighting efforts and the aerial support from BC Wildfire has made a huge difference in the ability of ground crews to get the fire held,” said Lisa Gyorkos, the deputy corporate officer with the Township of Spallumcheen.
“Crews on scene have been truly exceptional, working long hours in difficult terrain and undertaking extreme physical labour in the heat to ensure that the fuel-free zones, guard zones are in place and effective.”
The wildfire, which was sparked by lightning, is a reminder of just how quickly disaster can strike.
“We’re continuing to see a drying trend across the Kamloops Fire Centre – this spring we saw a drought so any precipitation we get doesn’t tend to last very long,” said Shantz.
“We urge the public to exercise caution and if they do see smoke or fire behaviour, to please call it in or use our wildfire app.”
Those dry conditions in the area mixed with lightning are a concern. On Friday, the Kamloops Fire Centre saw 623 lightning strikes, and Saturday, 164 lightning strikes were observed, leading to 22 new fire starts.
A heat warning has been issued by Environment Canada for the Central Okanagan, with temperatures expected to reach 35 C.
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