The Eagle Bluff wildfire burning west of Osoyoos, B.C., is expected to become far more visible in the days ahead, as the stretch of hot, dry days carries on and planned ignitions get underway.
The Regional District of the Okanagan Similkameen Emergency Operations Centre said it’s been told by the BC Wildfire Service there will be planned ignitions as they work to get ahold of the blaze, which is still burning out of control.
“The BC Wildfire Service incident management team managing the Eagle Bluff wildfire on the Canadian side of the border is coordinating response efforts with the U.S. incident management team managing the fire on the U.S. side of the border,” reads a press release distributed Wednesday.
“The ignition operation will occur between Nighthawk Road, follow existing road networks into Canada, where it will be tied into Frank Lake and then run adjacent to Highway 3, along the base of the slope.”
The ignition operation on the U.S. portion is now complete and crews will be continuing the ignition on the Canadian side on Wednesday.
Overall, the planned ignition will cover up to 1,800 hectares where the fire is burning in steep and rocky terrain that poses safety risks to crews and heavy equipment.
The ignition operation will be conducted by a combination of hand and aerial ignitions with support from ground personnel, structure protection personnel and aerial resources.
“The purpose of the planned ignition is to remove unburnt fuel in an intentional way to secure the control line and achieve containment on the north and west flanks of the fire. Based on current conditions this unburnt fuel has the potential to burn on its own in a significantly more active way.”
These ignition operations will be conducted throughout Wednesday and possibly Thursday and will only proceed if site and weather conditions are favourable.
The fire was discovered on July 29 and is currently mapped at 3,044 hectares.
The cause remains under investigation.