The BC Wildfire Service continues to respond to the McDougall Creek wildfire (K52767) adjacent to West Kelowna. This morning BC Wildfire crews and structure protection personnel plan to conduct a small-scale hand ignition operation, approximately 20 hectares in size along the south flank of the fire, northwest of the Shannon Lake Golf Course.

The BC Wildfire Service and multiple structural fire departments remain engaged in active and critical firefighting operations in the North Shuswap area. We urgently ask for the public's assistance by not moving or taking any firefighting equipment. First responders and community members working tirelessly in our communities need this essential equipment on the ground. We understand frustration and fear exist, but the professionals relying on this equipment need it to continue to fight these fires.

Last night, the Lower East Adams Lake #BCwildfire (K21620) exhibited intense fire behaviour resulting in a large column building into the afternoon and burning through the night resulting in widespread smoke and heat detected by overhead satellites. At the same time, a high-level thermal scan was done of the Lower East Adams Lake fire at 3 a.m. this morning (smoke column pictured), providing more accurate data on actual fire growth and location.

Yesterday the Mt Hayes wildfire (V62669) received additional support from 9 parattack firefighters (smokejumpers), dispatched from the Prince George Fire Centre.

Located in #FortStJohn & #MackenzieBC and utilized heavily in the north, parattack jumpships can respond anywhere... in the province within 2 hours, staffing incidents independently or providing support to resources already on the ground. On arrival to an incident parattack can deploy 6,000 lbs of equipment as well as up to 13 experienced firefighters - crews as well as officers capable of...

The #BCWildfire Service calls on the skills and expertise of many contractors each year and selects qualified and appropriate resources for its fire operations. BC Wildfire Service personnel work closely with contractor firefighters to determine how to best match their availability and expertise with operational objectives.

“My name is Kyle Young and I am an Incident Commander with the #BCWildfire Service. I am writing this post rather than sharing a video message because, frankly, it would be too emotional for me." "I am someone that ground crews, my kids, and many other people, look up to for guidance through these challenging seasons. I have been doing this job for 16 years. I am a third generation wildland firefighter, following my father and grandfather."

If conditions on site are favourable later this morning, the #BCWildfire Service will be conducting a planned aerial & hand ignition on the Flat Lake wildfire (C41602). Smoke is anticipated to be visible from #100MileHouse, #70MileHouse, #BCHwy97 and the surrounding communities. This planned ignition operation is being considered for the N edge of the fire perimeter in the area south of Moose Valley Park, between Gustafsen Lake & Holden Lake. The purpose of the planned ignition is to remove unburnt fuels between the fire perimeter and pre-determined...

@environmentca has issued a Heat Warning for the South Coast of British Columbia. Thursday and Friday will be the hottest days of the week. For more information go to: weather.gc.ca/warnings/index…. On Aug. 7, a band of thunderstorms crossed the area spanning north of Campbell River onto the mainland north of Powell River. Close to 160 lightning strikes were detected, resulting in 5 fires. In the below image, the blue and green markings identify where lightning has struck.

If conditions on site are favourable this morning the #BCWildfire Service will be conducting aerial planned ignitions on the Flat Lake wildfire (C41602), approximately 27 kilometres southwest of #100MileHouse. Smoke is anticipated to be visible from 70 Mile House, #BCHWY97 and the surrounding communities.
This planned ignition operation is being considered for the southwest corner of the fire perimeter in the area between Meadow Lake Road, Dog Creek Road and the Gustafson East FSR.

As new technology emerges, the #BCWildfire Service is reminding the public to understand their best uses. Although online fire detection tools, such as MODIS, can be helpful to gather information about wildfires in your area, they can also cause a lot of confusion and anxiety. MODIS uses satellite sensors to record the intensity of electromagnetic radiation from Earth in various spectral wavelengths or channels. This means heat signatures are picked up by the satellite and the map is populated with pixels.

This morning, July 31, 2021, areas of the Fraser Zone in the Coastal Fire Centre received multiple lightning strikes resulting in reports of two wildfires on the northern half of Harrison Lake, northeast of #Chilliwack. #BCWildfire No fires have been reported on the southern portion of the lake. The lightning moved across Harrison Lake in a northeastern direction. Resources have been dispatched and are now attending these fires.

If conditions on site are favourable later this morning the #BCWildfire Service will be conducting small scale planned ignitions on the Flat Lake wildfire (C41602) approximately 27 kilometres southwest of #100MileHouse. Smoke is anticipated to be visible from #70MileHouse, HWY 97 and the surrounding communities.
This planned ignition operation is being considered for the south edge of the fire perimeter in the area between Alberta Lake, McKinley Lake and the 3900 road.

There have been 787 wildfires in British Columbia so far this season, 330 of those fires started within the last week. The #BCWildfire Service would like to acknowledge all personnel responding to the ongoing wildfire situation. The #BCWildfire Service is a multifaceted organization consisting of positions both on and off the fireline that are vital to wildfire management. With heightened activity, the passion and resiliency of our staff members becomes evident.

Campfire and open burning prohibitions are currently in place across B.C. The #BCWildfire Service (BCWS) continues to monitor conditions and will take further action to protect public safety if necessary. At this time, the BCWS has not implemented any backcountry closures. All trails and backroads that are not affected by Area Restriction Orders, Evacuation Orders, or are otherwise under municipal jurisdiction, remain open for public use. Members of the public must remain vigilant and act responsibly when recreating in the backcountry.

The #BCWildfire Service would like to remind the public that preparing in advance for a potential Evacuation Alert or Evacuation Order is important during times of heightened wildfire risk and activity.
Evacuation Alerts and Orders are put into place by local governments. Any information about evacuations will come from a band office, municipality, regional district or local authority. Once an Evacuation Alert or Order is place, the information is reflected on the BC Wildfire Service Dashboard and through the BC Wildfire service mobile app.

The #BCWildfire Service continues to respond to 54 wildfires within the #Cariboo Fire Centre. Currently, there are six Wildfires of Note within the Cariboo Fire Centre.
The BC Wildfire Service is continuously assessing incidents and responding where it is needed. We follow standards and guidelines while assessing our priorities, which are life, property, infrastructure and resources, and we allocate resources as it is set out by the BC Emergency Management System (BCEMS). BCEMS is recognized as a standard system for emergency response.

Today, #BCWildfire Service personnel on the Sparks Lake Fire (K21001) will be conducting a controlled burn operation, with both helicopter and hand ignition. The goal of this operation is to remove the available fuel between the fire's edge and the fuel free guard. The targeted area is from W of Red Lake, around Carabine Hill, tying into the wetlands on the SW quadrant of the fire. This will be a low intensity burn conducted to slow down and help limit spread. Ground personnel continue to lay hose along the fuel free guard in preparation.

This afternoon the Cariboo Fire Centre had several wildfires ignite within the #100MileHouse Fire Zone due to a severe thunderstorm that went through the area. All of these wildfires are being assessed and will be actioned in a priority sequence. Ground crews, helicopters, air tankers, members from volunteer fire departments and heavy equipment have responded and will continue to do so over the coming days.

The #BCWildfire Service is responding to K71086 in #Lytton. At this time this is an evolving situation and we are working with the Lytton Fire Brigade.
This is an agency assist as the Lytton Fire Brigade is the lead agency on this fire. We are diverting resources where possible to respond to the incident.

#BCWildfire Service is continuing suppression efforts on the Sparks Lake Wildfire (K21001), which is estimated at 4000 ha. Today there are 56 firefighters along with 10 helicopters and 2 pieces of heavy equipment. The @TNRD has issued an Evacuation Order for 18 properties in Electoral Area "J" (Copper Desert Country), along with an Evacuation Alert for 150 properties in the Deadman, Red Lake, Tranquille Valley and Vidette Lake areas. Please contact the TNRD for more information.

As of today at noon, campfires are prohibited throughout the province of British Columbia. Please note, the current prohibitions do not apply to CSA-rated or ULC-rated devices. A CSA or ULC rating indicates that a fire pit or stove has been inspected, tested and certified to meet or exceed safety and performance standards. Outdoor gas appliance standards outline design and engineering guidelines to ensure control of flame height and containment.