Revelstoke is sandwiched between wildfires east and west, but there are no new fires nearby.
While Revelstoke has contended with several wildfires throughout the summer, this time the fires aren’t close to town. It’s been a summer of sporadic fires near and far to Revelstoke. Now, with fires burning south of Golden and northwest of Seymour Arm, Revelstoke has no new fires but is still in the middle of them.
East of Revelstoke and south of Golden are two small wildfires that are considered to be “hold over” fires, and not a threat.
West of Revelstoke, three fires sparked near Seymour Arm overnight Sep. 1.
The fires — east and west — are suspected to be caused by lightning. In the case of the fires south of Golden, it’s unclear when the fires might have started due to their nature.
BC Wildfire Service shows 21 active fires around Revelstoke, of which 17 are held, one is under control, and three are considered out of control. Donna MacPherson, fire information officer for the southeast fire centre, said the remaining fires are generally high elevation and are considered to be low risk.
As of Friday, Sep. 2, the campfire ban for the region has been lifted.
This means that those who wish to have a campfire over the long weekend can do so. Campfires are defined as fires of no more than 0.5 meters high and 0.5 meters wide. Beyond that size, fines of varying amounts can be handed out.
BCWS warns anyone planning to have a fire this weekend to ensure that the blaze is always attended to, have a fuel break, and eight litres of water kept nearby to extinguish the fire. When extinguishing fires, coals should be cool to the touch before the fire is considered fully out. More information can be found about campfire safety on the BCWS website.
One of the key contributing factors in the campfire ban being lifted was the change in overnight recovery, said MacPherson. As the summer comes to a close, the sun drops behind the mountains faster in the evenings, giving the region more time to cool. BCWS also noted the increased overnight and early morning dew helps prevent the spread of wildfires.
Following the guidelines outlined above can help keep everyone safe. To report wildfires, call 1-800-663-5555 or through the BC Wildfire app.
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@ZacharyDelaney
zach.delaney@revelstokereview.com
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