An investigation has determined that the Elaho wildfire near Pemberton was caused by lightning, not people.
In order to pinpoint the fire’s site origin, a fire cause investigator assessed a variety of information, including weather station data, fuel types in the area, and fire spread patterns.
Photo Credit: BC Wildfire.
The cause of the fire was initially overlooked because of the moist conditions near the fire’s site origin. Ignition caused by a lightning strike might not immediately develop into a visible fire, as heat can build up underground for days or even weeks in moist conditions, but then flare up when drier weather comes along.
This type of lightning-caused fire is known as a “holdover” fire, and in the case of the Elaho wildfire, a gradual warming trend occurred in the area that would have allowed a smoldering, lightning-caused fire to grow and finally become visible.
The fire is burning approximately 67 kilometres west of Pemberton and is currently 40 per cent contained. In addition, the blaze covers 700 hectares of land and is located in steep terrain surrounded by dense forest, making it difficult to fight.
The fire danger rating in the Coastal Fire Centre region is mostly high with a few areas rated moderate or extreme.
Photo Credit: BC Wildfire.
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