Machine guard work on Shetland Creek (image credit - BC Wildfire Service)
WILDFIRE SEASON 2024

Guard work improves on northern flank of Shetland Creek Wildfire as crews prepare for warmer weather

Jul 31, 2024 | 6:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — The BC Wildfire Service is putting an area restriction in place around the Shetland Creek wildfire near Spences Bridge.

The main reason for the restriction being put in place was to keep the firefighters on the ground, and the public safe.

As of Tuesday (July 30) afternoon the fire is listed at just over 24,000 hectares. Thankfully, the Shetland fire has calmed in recent days thanks to cooler weather, allowing firefighters an opportunity to box in the blaze with improved guards on the northern flank.

“In the places where the fire is uncontained, particularly to the west, they have been putting guards in, mapping areas where those guards can come in. Later in the week where the fire might come up, they might now some ignition, they may do some direct work. But they are really preparing for hotter drier weather later in the week,” said Alan McCartney, Fire Information Officer, who is working in BC Wildfire with a crew from Australia.

Structure protection units remain in the area, with the team moving the infrastructure closer to the new hot spots within the fire perimeter.

The bc wildfire service is watching for warmer temperatures returning to the region later this week.

“We are fighting five years of drought here, that fuel, all the things that burn are extremely dry. So as that temperature comes up, the humidity drops and that wind gets up, it gives us difficult fire fighting conditions, very unpredictable conditions,” said McCartney. “As a Australian you certainly got some steep country up there and we know fire runs uphill very quickly.”