(CFJC Today/File photo).

By Aaron Schulze

Wildfire Watch

B.C. Wildfire Service optimistic Sparks Lake wildfire restrictions could be reduced in coming days

Jul 6, 2021 | 3:58 PM

KAMLOOPS — The incident commander for the Sparks Lake wildfire said progress is being made near Deadman Valley to Red Lake.

During the Thompson-Nicola Regional District’s (TNRD) wildfire update on Tuesday (July 6), B.C. Wildfire Service’s (BCWS) Dennis Rexin said equipment is bring moved to the north end of the blaze to begin work tomorrow (July 7).

“I’m really optimistic that in the next couple of days, our area restrictions… will be able to be reduced quite dramatically to allow folks that access into the area,” Rexin said. “I appreciate the support the majority of the population is giving us in staying out of that area while we’re trying to get containment of this incident.”

The Lytton wildfire has stabilized over the past 24-to-36 hours, according to BCWS’ Mark Healey. Additionally, two unit crews from out of province are expected to arrive tomorrow, on top of the two unit crews within B.C. that arrived on Tuesday.

Healey said their main areas of focus along Highway 1 in Gladwin, and the north part of the fire near Highway 12. Healey said they want to continue progress towards Lillooet.

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A four-hectare fire start was spotted across the Fraser River, but Healey said crews are having great success with it and don’t anticipate any issues.

Kyle Young, incident commander on the McKay Creek wildfire, said there are 109 resources on the scene, with another 45 inbound from Quebec arriving tomorrow. He said their focus is on the southern flank to try and prevent the fire from spreading to Pavilion and Highway 99.

“The last couple of days, lower fire behaviour has really allowed us to start to make some ground and hopefully tie some things up before we get into hotter, dryer conditions,” Young said.

Elsewhere, Kamloops Fire Centre Manager Kaitlin Baskerville said the Durand Lake wildfire southwest of Kamloops is at 260 hectares and out of control. The cause is suspected to be lightning, although it’s still under investigation. Baskerville said progress is being made of the west and south flanks of the fire.

The Kamloops Fire Centre is seeing some relief while managing its 71 active wildfires. Since the TNRD’s last wildfire update on Saturday (July 3), Baskerville said the region is seeing three to five fire starts a day.

She added the new starts are between one to three hectares in size, compared to 30 during the heat dome.

Baskerville said BCWS has had more visibility with fires of note and fire starts with some of the smoke has been lifted, but direct sunlight can increase fire behaviour. She said the next 24-to-48-hour prediction expects lighting in Southern Interior, but BCWS is prepared to respond as required.

Meantime, wildfire officials spoke to CFJC Today about a new start Tuesday that is visible from Kamloops.

The fire popped up about two kilometres south of Paul Lake and is visible from the Dallas area, looking north.

Another fire is getting firefighter action near Ashcroft, just west of the community in the Cornwall Hills.