The Ashcroft Reserve wildfire is 10,304 hectares in size and has grown slightly within the last day.
Speaking to media this afternoon, incident commander Reg Trapp said smoke has hindered B.C. Wildfire’s ability to get accurate estimates, and it has just recently been able to map it at its current size. Despite strong winds within the last 24 hours, Trapp said the fire has only grown slightly.
“So that is encouraging,” he said.
The Ashcroft Reserve Wildfire has destroyed multiple buildings, including more than 60 mobile homes at Boston Flats and two houses between Cache Creek and Ashcroft rented by RCMP officers.
TNRD board chair John Ranta said, within the Village of Cache Creek, outbuildings in the south area of town have been destroyed, two hangars at the airport along with a house used by the caretaker. Two trailers that formerly housed offices at a nearby plant were also flattened.
“Certainly the fire is a little bit random in choosing which property to attack but those are the only structures I'm aware of in our local area,” Ranta said.
There are currently 130 firefighters, an incident management team, eight helicopters and eight heavy pieces of equipment on site and battling the Ashcroft Reserve wildfire. The fire started on Friday and grew quickly, jumping Highway 1.
“We essentially have a fire on both sides of the highway and both sides of Cache Creek, both fairly active,” Trapp said. “But the fire that is currently on the west side of Cache Creek has stayed static over the last three or four days, even with the difficult winds we’ve had, so we are looking positive.”
Trapp said the portion of the fire that crossed onto the east side of Cache Creek has gotten into more heavy fuels and reached Arrowstone Provincial Park, moving north. Winds within the last few days started pushing the fire further east.
B.C. Wildfire Service is focused on establish control on the southern end of the eastern portion of the fire so it can consider relaxing evacuation alerts and orders.
“Our main focus is life and property and safety of responders,” Trapp said
For updates on active wildfires of note, visit the B.C. Wildfire Service website.
For updates on evacuation alerts and orders, visit the TNRD website.
