Wildfire sparked by people near Kamloops, Highway 1 briefly closed
Posted July 6, 2017 6:45 am.
Last Updated July 6, 2017 8:49 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
KAMLOOPS (NEWS 1130) – Highway 1 through the Interior has been re-opened just west of Kamloops after a temporary closure due to a wildfire in Cherry Creek that stretches 15 hectares. Crews believe this latest blaze was sparked by people but it is contained.
Close to 50 firefighters are on the scene with the help of 11 planes and one helicopter.
Fire Information Officer Justine Hunse says the impact the fire has had on the area so far is incredible. “There has been one detached outbuilding that’s been destroyed by the fire and one residence has been partially effected as well.”
The BC Wildfire Service says there is still no campfire ban in effect in that region despite the fact the fire danger rating in the Kamloops Fire Centre is currently high to extreme. “We have seen the temperatures steadily drying out and that’s been reflected in the fire danger rating that we’re seeing right now.”
The scorching conditions won’t be letting up anytime soon with daytime maximum temperatures reaching the mid to upper 30s through this weekend. Overnight conditions will also remain quite warm.
The Kamloops fire comes a couple of days after at least one home and several other structures in the south Okanagan community of Kaleden were burned. That fire is 6.5 hectares in size and uncontained.
Meantime, a wildfire near Harrison Lake is 115 hectares and only five per cent contained.
The BC Wildfire Service says most of the fires reported so far this season have been sparked by careless people.
