Residents near the Hullcar Mountain wildfire can breathe a sigh of relief.
The Township of Spallumcheen and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) have ended evacuation alerts for the wildfire that's been burning northwest of Armstrong since Aug. 4.
The end of the alerts come after the wildfire was classified as being held Monday, Aug. 12, meaning it was not expected to grow beyond its current boundaries.
The wildfire has not yet been declared out by BC Wildfire Service, so residents are advised to stay informed and prepared.
The Township of Spallumcheen sent out "a heartfelt thanks" to the agencies, organizations, companies, volunteers and residents that were involved throughout the emergency situation.
"Managing an emergency situation is not an easy thing and requires the help and assistance of many. We appreciate the support our community received from (a long list of) people but also from the community as a whole who pulled together to help ensure everyone got home safely," the Township said.
The Hullcar Mountain wildfire has topped out at an estimated 784 hectares in size.
Until the fire is out, BC Wildfire Service says people can expect to see intermittent smoke over the coming weeks as the fire finds pockets of unburnt fuel from within its perimeter at high elevation.
"These areas are well within the fire perimeter and surrounded by previously burnt fuels," BCWS said.
On Wednesday, crews are continuing mop-up activities on the west flank near Haines Creek South Forest Service Road, where they completed a 50-foot edge. They are now pushing to create a 100-foot edge.
Along the south flank, crews are working on patrolling and extinguishing any hot spots.
Ground resources are demobilizing gear and equipment on the southeast flank, and crews will also be conducting danger tree assessments on all flanks of the fire.
