The Southeast Fire Centre is currently responding to two lightning-caused fires east of Highway 6 in the Slocan Valley.

Although these fires are highly visible due to their proximity to Highway 6 and local communities, there is currently no threat to any structures or communities.

• The Enterprise Creek fire is 1.5 kilometres east of Highway 6 and 8.5 kilometres south of the village of Silverton. Multiple airtanker groups and helicopters worked on this fire throughout the day and late into the evening on Thursday, July 17. Today, three helicopters are supporting a 20-person Unit Crew that has established pump sites and is working to contain this fire, which is currently estimated at 10 hectares.
• The Monument Creek fire is 10 kilometres east of Highway 6 and 11.5 kilometres southeast of Slocan City. Helicopters are supporting 18 firefighters who are working to contain this fire. Airtanker groups and helicopters worked late into the evening on Thursday to slow its rate of spread. This wildfire is estimated at 3.5 hectares.

These fires are not the source of the haze and smoke that’s currently visible throughout the region. Smoke has drifted into the West Kootenay area from much larger wildfires in the Okanagan Valley.

Crews have actively responded to 27 naturally occurring wildfires in the past week and have also had to respond to seven fires that were person-caused and therefore preventable. Person-caused wildfires divert firefighting resources from responding to other incidents. The Wildfire Management Branch asks the public and industry operators to exercise extreme caution in this period of increased fire danger.

The fire danger rating in the majority of the Southeast Fire Centre is currently “high”, with areas of “extreme” fire danger near Invermere, Cranbrook, Nakusp, Kaslo, Revelstoke and Grand Forks. Considering the hot and dry weather experienced over the past week, these conditions mean that forest fuels are very dry and the risk of fire is serious. Extreme caution must be exercised when using campfires this weekend.

The Southeast Fire Centre would like to thank the public for reporting wildfires in the region and for using fire safely during this period of elevated fire danger.

The Southeast Fire Centre extends from the U.S. border in the south to the Mica Dam in the north and from the Okanagan Highlands and Monashee Mountains in the west to the B.C.-Alberta border in the east. This includes the Selkirk and Rocky Mountain resource districts.

For information on air quality, as well as smoke forecasts for Western Canada, visit the BC Air Quality website: www.bcairquality.ca/bluesky/west/index.html

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: http://www.bcwildfire.ca

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:

• Twitter at http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
• Facebook at http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Media Contacts:

Jordan Turner
Fire Information Officer
Wildfire Management Branch
Southeast Fire Centre
250 365-4056