One of the fires burning in Strathcona Provincial Park (photo: Martin Macdonald)
An additional crew and two wildfire service officers have been sent to help fight three blazes in Strathcona Provincial Park that have grown since Saturday afternoon.
There are now a total of two helicopters, three crews and the two officers committed to the lighting caused fires that were first discovered Friday burning around 7 kilometres west of the Myra Falls mine.
The B.C. Wildfire service says challenging wildfire behavior is behind the growth of the fires.
“It was hot and smokey yesterday afternoon and the fire danger rating is very high, its extreme in that area so those were challenging conditions,” said Dorthe Jakobsen, a fire information officer from the Coastal Fire Centre.
One fire has grown from 1000-square metres to 4000, another from 2000-square metres to 3400 and a small tree fire has expanded from nine-square metres to 300.
READ MORE: 3 lightning caused wildfires burning in Strathcona Provincial Park near Myra Falls
A helicopter working to fight the fires burning in Strathcona Provincial Park (photo: Martin Macdonald)
Each is still classified as out of control, although their remote location means they are not a danger to any structures and communities for the time being.
The wildfire officers have been sent in to help strategise suppression efforts and manage and deploy additional resources if needed.
The locations of the three wildfires burning in Strathcona Provincial Park (B.C. Wildfire Service)
“The fire danger rating continues to go up in the area, everybody should please be careful out there and respect the prohibitions in place,” added Jakobsen.
As of July 18, all open burning, including campfires and category 3 fires, are prohibited within the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, with the exception of the area known as the “fog zone”.
More details on the restrictions can be found here
Julian Kolsut
