The month of July means more local wildfires for the B.C. Wildfire Service, as a pair of wildfires were discovered in the area on the Canada Day long weekend.
The first, discovered July 1 around 3:30 p.m. local time, is in Strathcona Provincial Park located by Filberg Creek. Only 0.4 hectares, the status has been turned to green and listed as being “now under control,” with crews continuing to monitor the fire.
The second fire is located in the Browning Creek area, approximately five kilometres west of Sayward and a kilometre east of Ryan’s Road. The fire, which was discovered just before 2 p.m. on July 3, is the second significant fire to affect the surrounding area of Sayward; the first being in Newcastle Creek, which was discovered in late May and has been held for several weeks by first responders.
“The fire is two hectares in size,” says B.C. Wildfire Service Information Officer Rebecca Grogan. “It is at a burning rank two, which means it is a low vigour surface fire. It is growing upslope to the east.”
Grogan also says that the fire in Browning Creek is of utmost importance.
“We have three initial attack crews, two officers, a type two crew, fallers, a water tender and two helicopters,” says Grogan. “The fire will be actioned again today by skimmers and had been actioned yesterday by long term retardant based airtankers.”
Grogan also says approximately 35 personnel are on the ground in Browning Creek.
Both fires are still under investigation.
BC Wildfire Service maintains that the cause of both fires appear to be human, and that no evacuations orders are in place as they continue to battle both fires.
