Skip to content

Unprecedented fire season winding down, but danger rating remains high

It was the driest summer on record, but it seems Salmon Arm dodged the wildfire bullet – so far.
8548022_web1_20170903-SAA-Kault-Hill-Fire-JE-0169
Jim Elliot/Salmon Arm Observer Firefighters look on as a skimmer aircraft attacks a fire on Kault Hill on Sunday, Sept. 3.

It was the driest summer on record, but it seems Salmon Arm dodged the wildfire bullet – so far.

Aside from a Sept. 3 fire at Kault Hill that drew immediate response and a couple of spot fires near Sicamous and Falkland, the area has, so far, escaped the wrath of the 2017 wildfire season.

But fire information officers at the Kamloops Fire Centre point out that, as of Tuesday morning, Salmon Arm was in a pocket of extreme fire risk in an area that has mostly a high danger rating.

They have collected what data is available regarding the local wildfire season.

“Technically, our seasons always start on April 1 and end on March 31 in the following year (this aligns with our fiscal year),” says fire information officer Rachel Witt. “Some of this year’s larger fires will likely continue to burn at least until snow begins to fall, although the cooler autumn weather we’re seeing right now will reduce the intensity of these fires and allow crews to achieve containment on them.”

While flames ate up thousands of hectares in other parts of the province, Salmon Arm, which is in the northern part of the Vernon Zone, saw 51 fires with a total of 89 hectares burned between April 1 and Sept. 17.

“Wildfires have been fairly evenly spread through the northern area of the Vernon Zone,” says the report.

This compares to 20 fires and three hectares in the 2016 season and 116 wildfires that burned up 6,490 hectares in 2003.

The largest fire in the zone was McLennan Peak, with 60 hectares burned, followed by Angle Mountain at eight hectares and Seymour River at six hectares.

“A total of eight fires so far this year in this area were over one hectare in size,” says Witt.

To date this year, 40 of the 51 fires were lightning caused. The rest are suspected to be human caused, but information as to how they were caused is not available because they are, or have been, under investigation.

In particular, the Kamloops Fire Centre says “the investigation into the cause of the Kault Hill Fire remains internal at this time.”

While most campers complied with the campfire ban, the Kamloops Fire Centre is aware of at least five abandoned campfires that were reported during the 2017 fire season in the Salmon Arm area.

But Witt says it takes time to collect and compile all the data from fire wardens and enforcement officers so the numbers may increase.

The operation of off-road vehicles will once again be permitted on Crown land throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre, Cariboo Fire Centre and Southeast Fire Centre, effective at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017.

Cooler weather conditions and recent precipitation have reduced the flammability of fine fuels in these regions, which has significantly reduced the chance of a wildfire starting from a spark or a hot engine.

However, the BC Wildfire Service reminds the public that some area restrictions are still in effect on Crown land in the vicinity of large wildfires in the Cariboo Fire Centre, Kamloops Fire Centre and Southeast Fire Centre, to help protect public safety and allow firefighting operations to continue efficiently. The use of off-road vehicles will continue to be prohibited in the restricted areas around these wildfires.

Additionally, campfire prohibitions remain in effect throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre, which includes the Shuswap and Salmon Arm, Cariboo Fire Centre and Southeast Fire Centre.

“Overall, the public seemed to be responsive to the bans we put in place,” says Witt, noting the number of human-caused wildfires this year has been slightly lower than in the previous five years. “Given the severity of this fire season, I think it’s fair to say that people generally wanted to be vigilant to avoid compounding an already severe wildfire season by causing yet another preventable human-caused fire.”

But there has been some trouble on the water.

“There have been a number of instances this summer where we’ve had to remind people to stay clear of our aircraft,” says Witt.

“On some fires, we also restricted watercraft access to lakes we were skimming from. When we take this step, it’s to ensure the safety of both the public and our firefighting personnel, so it’s important that the public abides by these types of restrictions.”

Meanwhile, the Environment Canada forecast calls for showers interspersed with sun and clouds today and tomorrow, hopefully dropping enough rain to quell wildfire season 2017.