BCWS working to suppress wildfire near Dunster
By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
UPDATE: As of July 3rd at 1:15 p.m., the fire is being held, meaning it is not expected to spread beyond its current perimeter. The fire size is still listed as 23.3 hectares.
The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) is currently fighting a 23.3 hectare wildfire near Small River, about 21 kilometres east of Dunster.
Reported on July 1st, BCWS suspects the fire — identified as incident number G30786 — was human-caused. It is is currently classified as out of control on the BCWS dashboard, meaning it is expected to spread beyond its current perimeter.
According to BCWS Information Officer Alexander Robinson, the fire was initially recorded as rank three to four on the BCWS’s six-point ranking scale, with six being the most severe fire possible. This means the fire has a moderate to fast rate of spread on the ground, and air support and control lines are likely to be effective on the fire, the BCWS website says.
Robinson said initial attack crews – quick-response teams of three to four people – were deployed to the fire yesterday, followed by air tankers who spread water on the fire overnight. Air attack crews have been bucketing throughout this morning and afternoon to support the work of ground crews, he added.
However, Robinson said the number of resources on the fire is changing too rapidly to give a precise estimate on how many people are currently fighting the fire.
Whether the fire spreads is highly dependent on rainfall, said Robinson, noting that the area received over two millimetres of precipitation yesterday. Additionally, steep slopes in the area are presenting some challenges to BCWS crews as they restrict access points to the fire, making direct suppression difficult, Robinson said.
Robinson added that recent weather has left BCWS with a full plate. While BCWS still believes the Small River fire was caused by humans, many recent fires sparked by lightning also require attention from the service.
“There were 1899 recorded lightning strikes in the past 24 hours in the southeastern portion of the Prince George Fire Centre,” Robinson wrote in an email to The Goat. “Crews and equipment are moved between new and emerging incidents, in a priority sequence, as achievable objectives permit.”
