Wildfire north of Lillooet continues growing in steep terrain

“The fire is mainly burning Rank 1 and Rank 2, meaning a smouldering ground fire with some visible open flame,” said the BCWS.

“More smoke is likely to be observed in the following days, particularly in the afternoon and overnight periods, as southerly winds increase and warm, dry conditions continue.”

The BCWS still does not know the exact cause of the French Bar Creek wildfire, which was reported on Thursday (July 2).

Elsewhere, the 50-hectare Riley Creek wildfire about nine kilometers south of Lillooet is also burning up steep slopes.

The fire, discovered on June 24, has not seen a response from ground teams due to the unstable, snow and rock covered terrain.

For now, the BCWS is monitoring the fire with helicopters.

“As it is burning in unsafe and inaccessible terrain, a modified response is being used to manage this wildfire. Due to the terrain, this is a common response strategy in the region,” said the BCWS.

“Responder safety is the number one priority for the BC Wildfire Service, and we will not place staff in an unsafe environment.”

Since there are no safe areas for a ground attack, the BCWS said it will continue to monitor the lighting-caused fire until it burns itself out or it moves downslope into a more accessible area where ground crews can access.

“The helicopters assigned to this incident are reconnaissance machines and are not actively bucketing. While aircraft are a highly visible part of wildfire response, they do not put out wildfires alone,” said the BCWS.

Both fires are burning out of control, but there are no active evacuation alerts or orders.

by Elora McCormack

Wildfire north of Lillooet continues growing in steep terrain

Our Community