File photo (Image credit: CFJC Today).

By Aaron Schulze

Wildfire Watch

Nearly 150 lightning strikes recorded in the Kamloops valley Monday; 20 new wildfires ignite in the fire centre

Jul 23, 2024 | 11:55 AM

KAMLOOPS — Nearly 150 lightning strikes were recorded throughout the Kamloops valley as thunderstorms rolled through Monday (July 22).

Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Erven says it’s due the two-week heat warning period coming to an end.

“Now, as that ridge of high pressure has broken down, what’s moved into place in behind is essentially a large area of low pressure and multiple upper troughs moving through,” Erven told CFJC Today. “Those can act as triggers for thunderstorm activity.”

Erven says it’s unlikely there’s a risk of thunderstorms in Tuesday’s forecast or into Wednesday, but Environment Canada will reevaluate later into the week.

Meantime, the BC Wildfire Service reports 20 new wildfire starts in the Kamloops Fire Centre over the past 24 hours, but five of those are considered out.

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Aydan Coray, fire information officer with the wildfire service, says the Kamloops Fire Centre received nearly 1,000 lightning strikes across the region.

“When we see these thunderstorms pass through and we get this lightning across the fire centre, some of those turn into wildfires quite quickly,” Coray says. “Because we aren’t expecting a period of any extended precipitation or cool weather, there is an opportunity that these lightning strikes can be held in the ground and precipitated fires over the next short-term period. We’re going to continue monitoring with aerial resources and phone calls from the public.”

Additionally, Coray notes the wildfire service has a skimmer tanker group en route to the Little Fort area Tuesday to respond to the Dunn Creek wildfire, and they will be visible to the public. She encourages everyone near the Dunn Creek area to avoid interfering with any of the skimmers as they’re working on the water body.