By Times Chronicle Staff
UPDATES
July 15, 12:03 p.m. – The wildfire burning along the Ashnola River adjacent to Cathedral Provincial Park is now classified by BC Wildfire as “Under Control”. The total area consumed by the fire is estimated at 50 hectares. The RDOS has not at this time changed its Evacuation Alert.
July 13, 9:22 a.m. – BC Wildfire said fire activity has significantly decreased over the course of the day (July 12), allowing for the status of this fire to be changed to ‘Being Held’. “BCWS resources will continue to be onsite finishing the machine guard and wet line (a type of control line typically established using water), as well as begin mop-up and patrol to find and extinguish any hot spots within the fire perimeter.” The Evacuation Alert issued on July 11 is still in effect (see original story below).
July 12, 5:30 p.m. – The Young Creek Wildfire is now considered “Being Held” meaning that based on fuel and weather conditions and resource availability, the wildfire will remain within the current perimeter, control line or boundary. The fire is currently listed at 50 hectares in size. The next update from the RDOS EOCO will be tomorrow, Sunday, July 13 at 12 p.m. unless the situation changes.
A total of 32 firefighters, three helicopters and heavy equipment is responding to this wildfire.
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Aerial view of the Young Creek Fire adjacent to Cathedral Provincial Park.
BC Wildfire Service photo
ORIGINAL
Evacuation alerts have been issued by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Emergency Operations Centre (RDOS EOC) in response to the Young Creek Wildfire approximately 21 kilometres down the Ashnola Road which forms one boundary of Cathedral Provincial Park.
The RDOS EOC was activated on Friday, July 11, at 7 p.m. with the evacuation areas including:
- Cathedral Lake Lodge
- Lake of the Woods Campground
- Twin Buttes Campground
- Cathedral Lake
- Pyramid Lake
- Ladyslipper Lake
BC Wildfire Service map
The RDOS EOC said it is working closely with Upper Similkameen Indian Band (USIB) and Lower Similkameen Indian
Band (LSIB). The RDOS EOC has been activated to a level one event for monitoring.
The wildfire was discovered in the mid afternoon of Friday, July 11 and is now classified at 50 hectares in size and “Out of Control”. It is suspected to be a “Human Caused” wildfire.
The BC Wildfire Service notes that the wildfire is displaying “Rank 3 behaviour” which means moderately vigorous surface fire with moderate rate of speed. There are six ranks in the scale with Rank 6 being the most intense.
Currently there are 34 firefighters, two helicopters and heavy equipment responding to the fire.
Lower Similkameen Indian Band photo
