File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By James Peters

Wildfire Picture

B.C. Wildfire has Durand Lake fire fully guarded; TNRD eyes return of residents

Jul 8, 2021 | 3:19 PM

KAMLOOPS — The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says it has begun to get a handle on at least one of the many fires raging in the B.C. Interior.

In a virtual update Thursday afternoon (July 7), BCWS reported crews have constructed a machine guard around 100 per cent of the Durand Lake fire southwest of Kamloops.

The fire ignited last week between Savona and Logan Lake, near Tunkwa Lake.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) issued an evacuation order for 71 properties impacted by the fire on July 2.

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“It’s great news about the work that B.C. Wildfire has been doing on that area,” said TNRD Information Officer Debbie Sell. “Of course, there’s also access/egress, danger tree, that type of assessment that needs to be done by B.C. Wildfire. We are working actively with them.”

A weather change bringing rain and cooler temperatures over the past 24 hours has resulted in muted fire behaviour, which is welcome news for the hundreds of firefighters trying to contain flames raging in the Kamloops Fire Centre.

“We have not seen growth in any of the order and alert areas, so that is great news,” said Sell. “We are regularly in contact with B.C. Wildfire and, as soon as it is safe to do so, we will be looking at the areas that are under order.”

Even so, the storm systems brought hundreds of lightning strikes with the fire centre late Wednesday and overnight, meaning crews are on high alert for holdover fires that can come to life up to several days later.