A small wildfire is burning south of Cranbrook in a remote area of the South Teepee on Wednesday afternoon.
A large plume of smoke was visibile from the community, but it is being actioned by the BC Wildfire Service and is estimated at 10 hectares.
Looks like there is a wildfire start way up in the Gold Creek area south of Cranbrook. It’s remote enough that it shouldn’t be threatening anything unless conditions or fire behaviour changes drastically. pic.twitter.com/hwAmip4DOu
— Trevor Crawley (@tcrawls) August 1, 2019
Ashley Davidoff, a fire information officer with the Southeast Fire Centre, says there are 45 ground personnel working on the fire with support from heavy equipment and three helicopters. Air tankers, which were in use on Wednesday afternoon, are available on request, she added.
Fire growth was minimal overnight and into this morning, however, Davidoff warned that as the day heats up, fire behaviour may change.
READ: Province to ban Category 2 fires in the Kootenay region
The fire is suspected to be caused by lightning, given a recent thunderstorm that passed through the region a week ago.
Davidoff said the BC Wildfire Service is planning to do a patrol of the region with a fixed-wing aircraft to check higher elevation terrain for starts that may be smouldering due to lightning strikes.
Davidoff reminds the public that a Category 2 fire ban remains in effect, and that while campfires are permitted, they should be less than half a metre wide by half a metre tall.
Always use caution when starting a campfire and watch the wind conditions, she added. Never leave a campfire unattended and make sure ashes are cool to the touch after putting it out.
trevor.crawley@cranbrooktownsman.com
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