8:50 p.m. update: The Gustafsen Fire is now 25 per cent contained according to Fire Information Officer Heather Rice.
“Crews did have another good day today and this cooling weather did help and the size is not estimated at 5,700 [hectares] that’s as a result of the controlled burns we have done and we will continue to have night shifts that will be patrolling and working on the fire.”
4:45 p.m. update: The Gustafsen fire has not grown and the guards are still holding according to the Fire Information Officer for the Gustafsen Fire Heather Rice.
9:50 a.m. update: The Gustafsen fire is now estimated at 5,650 hectares according to Fire Information Officer Heather Rice, as a result of more accurate mapping and the controlled burns.
Original story: “The Gustafsen fire was able to maintain its current perimeter. Our guard and containment lines all held and we actually we even had favourable conditions later in the evening to conduct a controlled burn to anchor our west flank,” says Fire Information Officer Heather Rice.
“We are actually in pretty good shape now and our commander is feeling pretty confident.”
The fire is still 20 per cent contained with a size of 5,000 hectares. There are 290 firefighters, 15 helicopters and 11 pieces of heavy equipment working on the fire, according to Rice.
“Later this afternoon we’ll see approximately 20 km winds out of the west, so we still have to be on guard with those winds… but we will have slightly cooler temperatures and a slightly higher relative humidity today so that will also help. Then we have to watch for a possible thundershower that could come through and then the winds can get erratic this afternoon.”
Overall, Rice was quite optimistic.
“Gustafsen is sort of the good news story with everything else that’s going on.”