The BC Wildfire Service is responding to two fires of note in the Southeast Fire Centre.

• The Hobo Creek fire is located approximately 12 kilometres west of Highway 95 and approximately 35 kilometres southeast of Golden. As of noon on Saturday, July 21, 2018, this lightning-caused fire was estimated to be 54 hectares. On site, there are 41 personnel, four helicopters, four water tenders and heavy equipment.
• The Columbia-Shuswap Regional District has issued an evacuation alert for the recreation sites at Mitten Lake, Bittern Lake, Nine Bay and McLean Lake. While the fire is not directly affecting these sites, it has potential to impact the Parson Forest Service Road used to access the area. For more information on the evacuation alert, please contact the regional district at 250 832-8194, or visit its website: http://www.csrd.bc.ca/
• The St. Mary River fire is located south of Highway 95A, approximately 12 kilometres northwest of Cranbrook. This fire is currently being held at 6.7 hectares in size, which means the fire is not likely to spread beyond the existing boundaries. Eleven firefighters are on site on Saturday. The evacuation order put on by the Regional District of East Kootenay has been rescinded. For more information about evacuation orders and alerts, please call the regional district at 250 489-2791, or visit its website: www.rdek.bc.ca

There are several other fires burning throughout the Southeast Fire Centre as a result of recent and ongoing lightning strikes. These fires are not currently affecting any communities or structures and are being addressed in priority sequence.

The Blacktail Mountain fire is burning just outside of Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, about 19 kilometres northeast of the Village of Slocan. This fire estimated to be 50 hectares in size and is burning in remote terrain. Three firefighters and one helicopter are on site Saturday. This fire is being managed as a “modified response” using a combination of suppression techniques and monitoring to contain fire activity within pre-determined perimeters. This type of response is used to minimize costs and/or damage, and to maximize the ecological benefits from the fire. 

For more information on wildfires in your area, please visit the interactive map: gov.bc.ca/activewildfiresmap (governmentofbc.maps.arcgis.com)

The fire danger rating in the Southeast Fire Centre is currently a mixture of “moderate”, “high” and “extreme” across the south and central parts of the region, with areas of “moderate” in the north. A link to the fire danger rating can be found here: gov.bc.ca/wildfiredanger  

The BC Wildfire Service is reminding members of the public to stay clear of firefighting aircraft that are collecting water from lakes and other bodies of water. Recreational boaters should stay clear, as their presence in the water interferes with BC Wildfire Service’s ability to fight a fire, since a pilot cannot collect water when a boat is in its intended flight path.

The BC Wildfire Service reminds the public that unattended or abandoned campfires can easily start a wildfire. This type of human-caused wildfire is completely preventable and diverts crucial resources away from naturally occurring wildfires.

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, 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, visit: http://www.bcwildfire.ca

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:

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