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Kamloops  

BC Wildfire Service crews battle Watching Creek blaze from above

Watching Creek now 195 ha

UPDATE: 1:47 p.m.

A bird dog and six skimmer planes are working a 195-hectare wildfire burning northwest of Kamloops.

The Watching Creek fire was classified early Tuesday afternoon as a wildfire of note by the BC Wildfire Service. The lightning-caused fire was discovered on Friday in the Lac du Bois area, and winds fanned growth on Monday afternoon that made smoke from the blaze visible from most of Kamloops.

The latest BCWS mapping has the fire’s perimeter pegged approximately nine kilometres north of Kamloops city limits at Tranquille. The fire’s easternmost flank is about 13 kilometres west of Westsyde Road.

In an update posted online on Tuesday afternoon, BCWS officials said a bird dog and six skimmers are working the blaze. Ground and additional air resources remain on standby available to respond.

This story will be updated as more information becomes known.


UPDATE: 11:55 a.m.

The Watching Creek fire has more than doubled in size, now sitting at an estimated 195 hectares.

Updated BC Wildfire Service mapping late Tuesday morning has increased the size of the blaze and provided more detail about its precise location.

According to the mapping, the fire’s perimeter is about nine kilometres north of Kamloops city limits at Tranquille. The easternmost flank of the fire is about 13 kilometres west of Westsyde Road.

This story will be updated as more information becomes known.


ORIGINAL STORY: 9:55 a.m.

Wildfire officials have little to say Tuesday morning about the Watching Creek fire, a blaze that kicked up during the heat of Monday afternoon and began to pump smoke into the sky from the Lac du Bois area.

The fire, believed to have been caused by a lightning strike, was discovered on Friday but remained mostly stable until Monday afternoon. It covers an estimated 80 hectares about 10 kilometres north of Tranquille.

BC Wildfire Service fire information officer Melanie Bibeau told Castanet Kamloops officials are gathering more information about the blaze, which saw dangerous conditions for firefighters on Monday.

“There is not a ton of change this morning as we’re still assessing the fire at this time,” Bibeau said.

“We do have two officers in a helicopter who are doing that assessment.”

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued an evacuation alert on Monday evening for properties in the Lac du Bois, McQueen Lake and Isobel Lake areas. Also on Monday night, the City of Kamloops said the fire is not presently a threat to the city.

According to Bibeau, assessments taking place on Tuesday morning will dictate the response plan for the day.

“Our aerial resources are continuing to evaluate possible response tactics, and our ongoing response will then be dependent on those evaluations,” she said.

“So we should know a little bit more later on today.”

In an update on Monday, BCWS officials said firefighters were evacuated from the area of the Watching Creek blaze on Monday due to dangerous conditions.

Bibeau said the safety of crew members remains top of mind for those fighting the fire.

“Right now, we’re still focusing on the safety of our first responders as that is our No. 1 priority,” she said.

This story will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes known.



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