Fire crews are responding to a new wildfire near Keremeos, this one by the northern edge of Cathedral Provincial Park and Protected Area.
The wildfire was found on Saturday, July 4th at about 24 km up Ashnola Forest Service Road, north of the Ashnola River. By 9 p.m. that evening, the fire had already grown to an estimated 100 hectares. The blaze is zero per cent contained and burning in a northerly direction up the slope. Airtanker operations were unsafe earlier in the day, but BC Wildfire Service had 23 firefighters and three helicopters on scene.
The fire is not near any structures, and smoke is visible from both Highway 3 and Highway 97. This blaze’s cause is under investigation, but it’s suspected to be human-caused.
The flames in the map above show the Ashnola Road fire (left), found on Saturday, and the Newby Lake fire (right), found on Thursday. (Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Management Branch)
The other wildfire in the vicinity, the Newby Lake fire from the Snowy Protected Area, had grown to an estimated 181 hectares by Saturday afternoon. The lightning-caused fire is still burning in the remote wilderness and remains zero per cent contained. The blaze, which extends into the U.S., is not near any structures.
Resources from the Newby Lake Fire were reallocated on Saturday to other high priority fires in the Okanagan. Officials continue to monitor the blaze, and more resources will be assigned when they become available.
The Newby Lake fire as of Saturday, July 4th. (Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Management Branch)
To report a wildfire, call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 from a cell phone.
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