Kamloops Fire Centre danger rating as of August 6, 2024. (Image Credit: Adam Donnelly / CFJC Today)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

WILDFIRE UPDATE

Kamloops Fire Centre hit with more than 1,100 lightning strikes in 48 hours, sparking several new fire starts

Aug 6, 2024 | 5:45 PM

KAMLOOPS — Residents in the Interior looked to the sky with concern over the weekend, as thunder and lightning passed through the area.

Summer wildfire risk is top of mind and the BC Wildfire Service says the Kamloops Fire Centre saw a considerable number of lightning strikes.

“Over the last 48 hours, we’ve taken over 1,100 lightning strikes,” fire information officer Taylor Shantz told CFJC on Tuesday (Aug. 6). “So that is a pretty significant amount. We have seen a handful of new starts come out of that so it was a pretty eventful weekend as far as the fire centre was concerned.”

Shantz says the lightning did come with rainfall. Of the 18 new fire starts, seven wildfires are out, seven are out of control, and the rest are either being held or are under control.

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“We only had four fires that weren’t naturally caused and are still being investigated,” Shantz said. “I think that really speaks to the public exercising that extreme caution in the back country. And we’re also seeing a lot of people adopt the app and use our (BC Wildfire) app to report fires and send in photos. That’s really great because our operations team gets a chance to take a look at what they’re walking in to and make sure that the proper resources are being assigned. So we actually saw a lot of help from the public this weekend as well.”

As of Tuesday, the Kamloops Fire Centre has 59 wildfires, 23 of which are classified as out of control, while the rest are considered under control, or being held.