Shetland Creek wildfire showing no new growth; ‘Humidity bubble’ established in Barkerville

There is some positive news in the fight against several notable wildfires burning in B.C., even as officials caution there are difficult days ahead.

The province is warning that conditions continue to be volatile and the number of wildfires continues to grow, with more than 430 blazes recorded as of Thursday morning.

But rain in the north has lessened the wildfire risk in that region, and in the south, crews have been able to establish defences against wildfires that are threatening communities including Ashcroft, Wells and the historic town of Barkerville.

Here is an update on some of the notable wildfires in this province.

Shetland Creek wildfire shows no new growth

On Tuesday, the B.C. Wildfire Service posted an update on the Shetland Creek wildfire, which has been holding in size at just under 200 square kilometres, with no new growth in the past day.

The fire has forced the evacuation of more than 120 people from the Venables Valley and has destroyed 20 buildings, including six homes, according to Colton Davies with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

It has also placed the community of Ashcroft and a portion of Cache Creek on evacuation alert as hot and dry conditions coupled with gusty winds have driven the blaze northward.

WATCH | Fighting the Shetland Creek wildfire: 

Jeff Walsh, an incident commander with the B.C. Wildfire Service, says in the video that crews are using heavy equipment on the mountain slopes above Spences Bridge to prevent fire from burning downslope toward the southern Interior community.

“Currently our main focus is establishing containment where it’s safe and operable to do so,” Walsh says.

In a Facebook post Tuesday night, Ashcroft Mayor Barbara Roden said she had been told that a drop in temperature had led to higher humidity levels, helping stop the growth of the fire. She also said the fire had started spreading toward areas that had previously been burned, where there is less fuel.

As a result, Highway 1 between Ashcroft and Cache Creek, which had been closed due to wildfire risk, reopened Tuesday though it could be closed once more should conditions change. 

Roden said a forecast of lower temperatures and rain later in the week were also buoying optimism, though she cautioned there was still no word on when evacuation orders and alerts might be lifted.

‘Humidity bubble’ established around Barkerville Historic Park

There has been similar good news for the Antler Creek wildfire, which has forced the evacuation of about 120 people from the District of Wells, as well as the neighbouring gold rush-era Barkerville Historic Park and Bowron Lake Provincial Park.

On Tuesday afternoon, the wildfire service said the fire had expanded beyond 140 square kilometres and was now just three kilometres from Wells and Barkerville.

The new areas of growth don’t present immediate threats to these two communities, according to a Facebook post by the District of Wells. 

The wildfire service also said it had managed to establish control lines and a “humidity bubble” in Barkerville and the surrounding area. They have hooked up multiple sprinklers to the existing water system in an attempt to minimize the fire risk to the old, wooden buildings, some of which are more than 100 years old. 

The service said it was expecting the fire to increase in size in the coming days, as it could merge with other, smaller blazes in the area.

Cluster of fires sparked near Wells Gray Park and Clearwater

In Clearwater, about 100 kilometres north of Kamloops, there are roughly 20 wildfires burning, dropping ash and keeping crews busy, said Mayor Merlin Blackwell.

Another 60 kilometres north, Wells Gray Provincial Park has been partially closed due to a wildfire near Murtle Lake. The park is a popular destination for campers, canoers, kayakers and hikers.

While Blackwell said there was concern about the impacts on the fire on communities, he emphasized that many areas were still open to tourists.

“You can still come here; you just need to have your sense about you,” he said.

Australian team takes over Kootenay wildfires

In the Kootenay region, an incident management team from Australia is taking over command of the Slocan Lake complex of wildfires, which includes the Aylwin Creek, Komonkoko Creek, Nemo Creek, Ponderosa FSH and Mulvey Creek burns.

Combined, the fires have prompted multiple evacuation orders and alerts that are being managed by the Regional District of the Central Kootenay.

Heat warnings for the region have been rescinded, although daytime highs are still expected to be up to 36 C for the remainder of the week, with lows from the mid-teens to low 20s.

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