By Steve Hubrecht
More wildfires are now burning in the Columbia Valley following a severe thunderstorm that swept through the area Monday night.
BC Wildfire Service discovered a wildfire at Castor Creek and then another at Mount Forster earlier this week. Both were discovered on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The suspected cause of both is lightning.
On the night of August 5, a wild thunderstorm hit the Columbia Valley and surrounding area. Strong winds gusted through the valley with lighting strikes forking through the sky and over surrounding mountain ranges.
Officials had issued a warning in advance of the storm and expressed concern that it could spark new wildfires given the tinder dry conditions. Many residents also vented their concern about the storm on social media, using words like “crazy”, “spooky”, and “scary” to describe the event.
The storm was ‘dry’ for several hours before rain eventually did start to fall around midnight, but did not last long.
The Castor Creek fire was reported by BC Wildfire Service early Tuesday morning, and the Mount Forster fire was reported around midday.
Castor Creek is burning in mountainous terrain several kilometres due west of Sam’s Folly Lake and Westside Lake (to the west of Edgewater on the opposite side of Steamboat Mountain). As of Pioneer press time the Castor Creek fire was listed as 0.01 hectares in size and classified as ‘out of control’.
The Mount Forster fire was very close by, about 10 kilometres south of the Castor Creek fire on the northeast flank of Mount Forster (to the south of Forster Creek and the Forster Creek Forest Service Road). As of press time it was listed as 0.25 hectares in size and classified as ‘out of control’.
A third wildfire was discovered the day before on Monday, Aug. 5 at Bruce Creek to the west of Lake Enid in the same general vicinity as last year’s Horsethief Creek wildfire that prompted evacuations and made national headlines. The Bruce Creek fire was quickly actioned by fire crews, and within a few hours of being reported was classified as ‘being held.’
In the north end of the Columbia Valley, the Dogtooth wildfire near Parson and McMurdo has grown large enough to become one of only eight “wildfires of note” in B.C. Burning mostly on the west side of the Columbia River, directly across from Highway 95, it is 5,481 hectares and classified as ‘out of control.’
In the south end of the Columbia Valley the?evacuation order?for six properties in the Whiteswan Lake area has been rescinded. The order stems from the Mount Morro wildfire near Top of the World Provincial Park and has been in place since July 25. The area restriction for the Mount Morro fire, however, remains in effect and includes Lussier Hot Springs, Whiteswan Lake, Alces Lake, and Top of the World Park, which are still closed to public access.
The area restriction for the Ravenshead fire burning in the Cross River-Palliser River area, which prompted the evacuation of Nipika Mountain Resort also remains in effect.
