The Blue Mountain wildfire in the South Okanagan, around seven kilometres west of Penticton, is estimated at 50 hectares.
The fire’s location is within the reserve boundary of the Penticton Indian Band, which issued an evacuation alert for the Shingle Creek Area. It was discovered on Sept. 2 and is suspected to be person-caused.
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3 more suspicious fires reported in North Okanagan area
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Meanwhile, in northern B.C., the Bearhole Lake fire, located east of Tumbler Ridge, has been declared a wildfire of note — one of five in the province.
It’s estimated at 1,600 hectares in size and is burning out of control. It was discovered on Aug. 31 and is thought to be lightning-caused.
The other three wildfires of note are Battleship Mountain and Dinosaur Lake, which are also in the Prince George Fire Centre, plus the Fat Dog Creek fire and the Heather Lake fire, both of which are in Manning Provincial Park, in the Coastal Fire Centre.
The Battleship Mountain fire, located west of Fort St. John and discovered on Aug. 30, has grown to 4,500 hectares as a result of strong winds. It’s also deemed out of control and is thought to be lightning-caused.
Evacuation alerts have been issued for multiple areas near Battleship Mountain and Carbon Lake.
The Dinosaur Lake blaze, located 10 km southwest of Hudson’s Hope and discovered on Aug. 31, was listed at three hectares but is deemed to be out of control. Nineteen firefighters and a helicopter plus six pieces of heavy equipment are battling the fire.
Lastly, the Fat Dog Creek fire is estimated at 20 hectares and is highly visible from nearby Highway 3. It’s believed to be lightning-caused and was discovered on Aug. 30.
And the Heather Lake fire is estimated at 1,500 hectares. It began in Washington state, but has crossed the border. It’s highly visible from Highway 3, but no structures, including the highway, are being threatened. It was discovered on Aug. 21, and is suspected to be lightning-caused.
There are currently 193 active wildfires in B.C., including 31 sparked in the last two days.
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