Effective immediately, the allowable annual cut for the portion of the Pacific Timber Supply Area (TSA) outside of the Great Bear Rainforest is 803,300 cubic metres, chief forester Diane Nicholls announced today.

A 75-hectare wildfire that’s burning about 20 kilometres southwest of Salmo and south of the Salmo River has prompted the Regional District of Central Kootenay to issue an evacuation alert for the McCormick Creek area.

More smoke may be seen coming from the Harrop Creek wildfire today (Aug. 9, 2017), as BC Wildfire Service personnel respond to a 15-hectare spot fire that is 750 metres outside of the main fire perimeter.

Smoke originating from wildfires burning throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre will continue to be visible due to hot, dry and windy conditions that the region has been experiencing over the past month.

The BC Wildfire Service is reminding the public that they must stay clear of firefighting aircraft that are collecting water from lakes in the region, including Moyie Lake, Lake Koocanusa and Premier Lake.

Smoke originating from wildfires in the Prince George Fire Centre and Cariboo Fire Centre has been visible in most areas of the Nadina, Bulkley and Skeena fire zones in the Northwest Fire Centre. This smoke is expected to linger in the area for the next few days.

With no relief in sight in the weather forecast, B.C.’s wildfire emergency is expected to continue over the next few weeks. To ensure that adequate resources are available to continue in the fight, more international personnel are on the way.

The recent growth of two wildfires in the Southeast Fire Centre has prompted the Columbia Shuswap Regional District to issue two evacuation alerts — one for the Galena Bay area and another for Heather Lodge and the surrounding area.

The Precipice wildfire that is burning about 52 kilometres east of Bella Coola continues to grow. This lightning-caused fire started on July 7, 2017, in a remote area of Tweedsmuir Park on the Cariboo Plateau, known locally as “The Precipice”.

People living in the Williams Lake area can expect to see columns of smoke rising from within the Wildwood wildfire today and in the coming days.