A helicopter carries a bucket of water to drop in an area where the fire is descending a creek bed into the valley. (© Richard McGuire photo)

The wildfire on Snowy Mountain was continuing to burn and expand on Saturday afternoon when photographer Richard McGuire visited the area.

These photos were all taken from safe locations using long lenses to get closer to the fires and the efforts to contain it. From the locations on public roads, there were very few places where open flames were visible, but the fires were producing a lot of smoke in the rocky terrain as they burned down through gullies.

Also visible was the scorched ground and vegetation where an unrelated fire burned next to Highway 3 Saturday morning near the Lower Similkameen Indian Band offices, for a while closing the highway.

At one spot where the fire had descended a gully towards the valley, two helicopters were filling buckets in the Similakameen River, dropping the water to prevent the fire from spreading.

(© Richard McGuire Photo)

Numerous fires cover Snowy Mountain and other adjoining mountains. They are visible as you descend from Fairview Road into Cawston. The sun casts a glow through the smoke. (© Richard McGuire photo)

A helicopter collects buckets of water from the Similkameen River to drop in a nearby creek bed where the fire was descending into the valley. In the background at right, a second helicopter is dropping water to stop the spread of the fire into the valley. (© Richard McGuire photo)

Smoke rises from a gully indicating how the fire was descending from the mountian into the Similkameen Valley. (© Richard McGuire photo)

A helicopter collects buckets of water from the Similkameen River to drop in a nearby creek bed where the fire was descending into the valley. (© Richard McGuire photo)

Firefighters check the ground for hot spots Saturday afternoon near the Lower Silmilkameen Indian Band offices. That morning, fire broke out there and for a while Highway 3 was closed. The fire was not connected to the Snowy Mountain fire just above. (© Richard McGuire photo)

Scorched sagebrush and grass is seen next to Highway 3 near the Lower Similkameen Indian Band offices. This fire on Saturday morning closed the highway for a while. It was not connected to the nearby Snowy Mountain fire. (© Richard McGuire photo)

The Snowy Mountain wildfire is producing a lot of smoke as vegetation smoulders. On Saturday, there were only a few small spots where flames were visible on the mountain from the highway. This photo was taken from Fairview Road using a very long lens. (© Richard McGuire photo)

The Snowy Mountain wildfire is producing a lot of smoke as vegetation smoulders. On Saturday, there were only a few small spots where flames were visible on the mountain from the highway. This photo was taken from Fairview Road using a very long lens. (© Richard McGuire photo)

Numerous fires cover Snowy Mountain and other adjoining mountains. They are visible as you descend from Fairview Road into Cawston. (© Richard McGuire photo)

Numerous fires cover Snowy Mountain and other adjoining mountains. They are visible as you descend from Fairview Road into Cawston. The sun casts a glow through the smoke. (© Richard McGuire photo)

Numerous fires cover Snowy Mountain and other adjoining mountains. They are visible as you descend from Fairview Road into Cawston. The sun casts a glow through the smoke. (© Richard McGuire photo)