UPDATE: Wildfire in Lac Du Bois grasslands now held

(UPDATE: July 23 @ 8 pm) - The Wheeler Mountain fire is now held, the BC Wildfire Service says.

Crews were on the blaze in the Lac Du Bois Grasslands Protected Area quickly on Tuesday afternoon and managed to prevent it from growing past 1.5 hectares in size.

The fire was highly visible to Kamloops residents when it sparked shortly before noon.

BCWS crews are still responding to several other small fires in the area, including three north of Kamloops Lake.

(Original story: July 23 @ 1:05 pm) - The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has sent aerial assets to a new wildfire northwest of Kamloops.

The Wheeler Mountain fire is burning in the Lac Du Bois Grasslands Protected Area, just northwest of the city, and was discovered shortly after 11:30 am.

Watched a new fire spark up around Lac Du Bois area, called it in and let them know #kamloops #wildfire @Kamscan pic.twitter.com/33QmmGpqFP

— Allie (@xxlexluthor22xx) July 23, 2024

At this time, it’s estimated at one hectare in size and classified as out of control, the BCWS said in an update.

“Aerial resources are responding, including helicopters and skimmer air tankers,” the BCWS added. “There is no threat to communities or structures at this time.”

The fire is highly visible from Kamloops and residents have been sharing their perspective in the form of photos and videos of social media.

A City of Kamloops statement says the Emergency Operations Centre and Kamloops Fire and Rescue are both aware of the blaze.

It echoed the BCWS statement in saying that there is “no current or anticipated threat” to the city, even though smoke may be visible from town.

At this time, the cause of the fire remains under investigation, although there were hundreds of lightning strikes around Kamloops on Monday evening.

The BCWS said crews are also responding to three wildfires north of Kamloops Lake with initial-attack and aerial resources.