Only 1 BC wildfire is ‘out of control’ at this time, but it’s a big one at 1,300 hectares

Given the warm spring weather and drought concerns around British Columbia, it’s somewhat surprising that there’s only one ‘out of control’ wildfire as we approach the start of summer.

However, that lone fire is no small blaze, as the Swede Creek wildfire has blown up to 1,300 hectares in around 24 hours after being discovered on Monday.

In a Tuesday update, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) said it’s displaying rank 3 and 4 fire behaviour, which indicates “a highly-vigorous surface fire, crown fire and spotting.”

The fire, located a little more than 100 kilometres northwest of Quesnel, even displayed rank 5 behaviour during the hottest part of the day on Tuesday.

“Strong winds, elevated temperatures and dry conditions caused this wildfire to grow rapidly toward the southwest and will increase fire behaviour as temperatures increase through the day,” the BCWS update noted.

According to the BCWS, ground crews and heavy equipment have focused on building guards that tie into established control lines along the wildfire’s southern flank.

“Water sources have been established, and crews continue to improve and extend hose lay along the southern flank,” the latest update explained.

“Ground crews are using indirect attack strategies to remove fuel from between the guard and the leading edge of the wildfire, securing control lines to prevent the fire from spreading further.”

Fixed-wing and rotary aircraft are also dropping water on the wildfire from above in an effort to decrease its aggressive behaviour and support ground efforts.

The BCWS currently has 73 firefighters assigned to the incident along with aviation and heavy equipment resources.

The Cariboo Regional District has an evacuation alert in place, which you can learn more about here.