Park Place Lodge

It will be hot and dry again today, tomorrow and right through the weekend. We are expecting sustained winds today and there could be strong gusts, particularly at the high elevation. The wind is expected to continue through tomorrow, and may pick up in the afternoon as the heat of the day hits.

We had a number of lightning strikes across various points in the East Kootenay Tuesday, Wednesday and last night. We have a few new starts and are waiting for further information on those new starts. There are currently no threats to communities or structures from the new starts, and I will have more information in this evening’s update for you.

With the lightning caused fires so far this season, early detection gives the crews the best chance to get on those fires quickly. Fernie had a lightening strike caused fire Wednesday evening shortly after 9PM at Fernie Alpine Resort on Snake Ridge. It was quickly reported and extinguished with helicopter and ground crew support. If you see anything, report it!

Reminders:
• The Off Road Vehicle prohibition remains in effect
• The campfire ban remains in effect across the region
• To report a smoke plume or fire, call *5555 from a cellphone or 1-800-663-5555 from a landline.

Here are the specifics on the regional fires:

Lamb Creek (N11927) Fire
• Alert Status: An evacuation alert was issued this morning and the RCMP and Search and Rescue were terrific in getting out and delivering the notices for us. They’ve just wrapped up delivery of notices. A reminder that an alert means “be ready and prepared.” There are NO evacuation orders in effect. I have attached a photo of the evacuation alert area as we have a number of new people on the email list.
• Fire Information: the fire is still estimated at 60 hectares in size; however, it has been very smoke, so that number may change once they get another detailed look at it. They have 35 personnel on it today, 6 pieces of heavy equipment (working today mostly on creating access and guard on the north side) and 5 helicopters.
• Watercraft Restriction: All motorized and non-motorized watercraft (including kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, etc) are prohibited from Moyie Lake. There is an exception for homeowners or campers who have boats moored on the lake. The BC Wildfire Service has granted permission for people with boats moored at Moyie to remove their boats. If you are removing a moored boat, please drive it along the shoreline and make sure you are not creating a wake. BC Parks has opened it’s boat launch for people removing moored boats.
• Forest Service Road Closure: Lamb Creek Forest Service Road is closed

Linklater Creek (N11844) (Formally Mount Robinson) Fire

• The fire continues to burn on both the Canadian and American side of the border. On the Canadian side of the border, it’s still estimated at 30 hectares in size; however, that may change once they get it re-mapped. The US side is estimated at 647 hectares. I attended a joint-interagency planning meeting on this fire yesterday and was amazed at the coordination between the MANY agencies working cooperatively on this cross-border fire.
• On the Canadian side, there are 19 personnel, 2 pieces of heavy equipment and 2 helicopters bucketing active spots. They are continuing to work on building guard.
• There are currently no threats to communities or structures.

Quinn Creek (N11844) (Formally Mount Robinson) Fire
• The fire is now estimated at 1,282 hectares in size
• They have 32 personnel, 1 heli and 4 pieces of heavy equipment working the fire today
• This fire is burning in a remote area and there are currently no threats to communities or structures.
• Forest Service Road Closure: The Quinn Creek Forest Service Road has been closed, starting at the 60-kilometre mark at the Bull River Junction Forest Service Road. A map of the affected area is available online: http://ow.ly/2Qp430eN86M

White River Complex (White River wildfire N21420, Grave Creek wildfire N21628, North White River N21781)
• The White River Complex has been made up of the White River and Grave Creek fires. They have now added the North White River fire into the Complex.
• These fires are all burning in remote, difficult terrain. The combined size of all 3 fires is estimated at 5,496 hectares.
• The Grave Creek fire has 43 personnel, 4 pieces of heavy equipment, and 3 helicopters. In addition to directly attacking the fire with the aid of equipment and helicopters, crews are working to put retardant lines in and are preparing for burn off operations.
• The White River and North White River Fires are being closely monitored daily and the North White River fire is estimated at 1,781 hectares in size.
• Forest Service Road Closure: There is a full road closure near the White River Complex wildfire for the White-Schoefield Forest Service Road starting at the 78 kilometre mark, the White River Forest Service Road starting at the 32 kilometre mark and the White-East Fork Forest Service Road starting at the 60 kilometre mark, effective immediately today, Aug. 21, 2017. A detailed map of the road restrictions for this area can be found here; http://ow.ly/nVLJ30ezE3S.

Verdant Creek Fire
• There are no significant changes to report on this fire.
• Highway 93S from Radium to Castle Junction remains open; however, it may still be impacted by smoke or fire suppression activities.
• There will be a more detailed update on this fire in tonight’s update.

Road reports:
Check DriveBC.ca or alberta511.ca for possible temporary closures, alternate routes and the most up-to-date information.

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