If you like your summers hot and dry, the news is good from the local forecaster who says more heat is on the way in Greater Trail.
Summer is continuing with a big ridge of high pressure, which has been the dominant feature for the last month and will remain as such, Ron Lakeman said Monday from his Castlegar weather office.
There could be a few days of reprieve by Thursday afternoon when overcast skies bring a drop of temperature into the high 20s, but by Saturday, a scorcher is expected to return to the region.
“It should cool off on Thursday and Friday,” he said. “But for those enjoying the sunny weather, it will probably start trending warmer on Saturday and reach the mid 30s again by the middle of next week.”
Following the hottest and driest July in seven years, a high chance of lightning predicted for the next few days prompted the regional wildland fire centre to issue a camp fire ban effective today (Tuesday) at noon.
The campfire prohibition is in place until further notice from the Southeast Fire Centre because ongoing warm and dry weather throughout the province means wildfires burn aggressively and require additional fire suppression resources.
“Human-caused wildfires can divert critical resources and crews from responding to naturally occurring wildfires,” explained Fanny Bernard, the centre’s fire information officer.
To date, the majority of wildfires have been sparked by lightning, she said, including 51 forest fires reported in the area since Saturday.
The largest is the Clearwater Creek fire, located south of Whitewater Ski Resort, which was holding at 17 hectares Monday afternoon, with 20 personnel at the site.
Additionally, two lightning-caused spot fires burning five kilometres west of Salmo had a trio of three-person initial attack crews and a helicopter on scene to contain the area and establish a fire guard perimeter.
The camp fire ban does not apply to cooking stoves or portable campfire apparatus with a certified rating, that use gas, propane or briquettes, as long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.