Update: A wildfire south of Canim Lake has nearly doubled in size Wednesday to 1,100 hectares.
However, the BC Wildfire Service said the fire continues to grow upslope away from the community.
A fire at Succour lake is currently 470 hectares and remains out of control.
The fires are now in the hands of an Incident Management Team operating out of 100 Mile House.
Update: After a busy day Monday attacking the fire at Canim Like, BC Wildfire Service is reporting the blaze has decreased to 582 hectares on Tuesday.
“We did another aerial assessment of that fire this morning and the fire was still moving away from the community, upslope,” information officer Jessica Mack said, noting that plans for attacking the fire today were not immediately available.
“We’re continuing to monitor the situation.”
An incident management team has been brought in to the 100 Mile House area to take over command of the Canim Lake and Deka Lake fires, Mack said, noting they will be taking over on Wednesday.
The expanded evacuation alert, which includes Eagle Creek Road, Hawkins Lake, Ruth Lake and a section of Forest Grove remains in place as of midday Tuesday.
Update: Air tankers are dropping a retardant line between the Canim Lake wildfire and homes in the area.
BC Wildfire Service information officer Jessica Mack said the move is a “preventive measure to make sure homes stay safe right now.” A heavy-lift helicopter is also dropping water on the wildfire, which has grown to 700 hectares in size. Mack said the last update she received suggests the wildfire continues to move up the slope, away from the community.
Aerial crews are working the Canim Lake fire because it’s burning in super steep terrain, she added.
Original story:
The Cariboo Regional District has expanded an evacuation alert in the Canim Lake and Forest Grove area Monday afternoon, July 5, due to the 700-hectare Canim Lake fire.
The alert applies to Canim Lake Area #2, which stretches along the southwestern edge of Canim Lake west to Bryce Road and south to Pappas Road in Forest Grove. An existing evacuation alert for the southeast end of Canim Lake and the Canim Lake Band has been in place since Friday.
Cariboo Regional District Chair Margo Wagner, who also represents Forest Grove-Canim Lake, said the alert will now cover the whole of Eagle creek road, Hawkins lake, Ruth Lake and the bulk of Forest Grove.
“This is as a precaution due to the predicted weather forecast of erratic winds and thunderstorms,” Wagner said in a newsletter to her constituents. “Please take this time to prepare for a possible evacuation order, should it become necessary.”
Residents on evacuation alert are asked to prepare themselves and their property should they be required to leave on short notice.
The Canim Lake fire, which has been burning on the hillside at the southeast end of Canim Lake since last Wednesday, is one of five “fires of note” in the Cariboo Fire Centre.
BCWS information officer Jessica Mack said the steep terrain and elevated winds late Sunday contributed to the increased fire activity, but noted that the growth was directed away from the community at the bottom of the hillside.
“The BC Wildfire Service has completed an aerial assessment this morning and the heavy-lift helicopter and air tankers will be responding to this wildfire today.
More to come.
melissa.smalley@100milefreepress.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter