The Hiren Creek wildfire northwest of Revelstoke was updated today (July 25) and has grown to more than 530 hectares.
The fire was first discovered last Friday (July 21). It was ignited by a lightning strike during a storm last week which also caused several other small wildfires near Revelstoke. A response officer was able lay eyes on the blaze and track its size on July 23, by which point it had grown to 150 hectares.
This morning, the Hiren Creek wildfire was updated, and the blaze has grown to 531 hectares.
It’s unclear exactly why the fire has grown, but the area around Revelstoke has been subject to strong winds for the past several days, causing trees in the city to fall and the loss of power in some areas.
The Southeast Fire Centre rolled out a modified response to combat the blaze, as it isn’t an immediate threat to infrastructure or the public. The centre will continue to monitor the fire and control it to maximize the ecological benefits while ensuring the blaze doesn’t become a bigger threat.
READ MORE: More than 1K properties on alert, evacuation orders issued for wildfire near Invermere
Currently, there are 43 fires burning in the Southeast Fire Centre, making it one of the less active fire zones compared to others around BC. Prince George is battling the most fires by a significant margin with 208 in the fire centre, while the Northwest Fire Centre has 83 active fires and Kamloops Fire Centre is the third-most active region with 55.
READ MORE: Nearly $40K raised for Kamloops man injured trying to save stepdaughter near Revelstoke
@ZacharyDelaney
zach.delaney@revelstokereview.com
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