UPDATE: BCWS responding to 220-hectare wildfire in the Shuswap

(UPDATE: July 22 @ 11:15 am) – The BC Wildfire Service map shows a half dozen wildfires started by lightning last week are either under control or being held.

A fire burning near Seymour Arm, dubbed the Lower Blueberry Creek fire, has been classed as under control and did not grow past one hectare.

On July 18, the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) said all but one of those fires was larger than one hectare, which was the Mara Mountain wildfire.

It is now the single largest wildfire burning in the Shuswap region.

BC Wildfire Service had an officer assess the Mara Mountain fire (K41070) by helicopter this evening. BCWS is reporting it has grown to 220 hectares, but has not moved much closer to Sicamous or Swansea Point than it was this morning.
See more details: https://t.co/EZm3KSdr3U pic.twitter.com/sTd8Mekl3b

— Shuswap Emergency Program (@shuswapemerg) July 22, 2024

CSRD officials said they were notified late Sunday evening that the fire had grown to 220 hectares, but it was not moving towards Sicamous or Swansea Point.

“The fire is currently 500m above the Aston Mara East Forest Service Road. This FSR is between the fire and any populated areas,” the CSRD says.

“BC Wildfire is still confident that fire behaviour will decrease if it reaches the 2021 Two Mile wildfire burn scar.”

There are currently no evacuation orders or alerts for any of these wildfires.

(Original story: July 18 @ 1:30 pm) – Six new wildfires have sparked in the Shuswap region.

According to the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District (CSRD), the fires are burning in the Seymour Arm, Queest, Mara Mountain and Mount Griffin areas.

All are suspected to be caused by lighting.

According to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), there is no immediate threat to structures and air tankers are being used to drop fire retardant in the Seymour Arm area.

SEP has activated an Emergency Operations Centre in response to a number of new fire starts in Seymour Arm, Queest, Mara Mountain and Mount Griffin areas.
BC Wildfire is actively working on these fires. The video shows a fire retardant drop in the Seymour Arm area. #CSRD #SEP pic.twitter.com/q997DII9t2

— Shuswap Emergency Program (@shuswapemerg) July 18, 2024

All but one of the fires is under one hectare. A fire southeast of Sicamous is currently estimated at five hectares.

“A helicopter with rappel crew has assessed four fires in the Sicamous, Malakwa and Three Valley Gap areas,” says the CSRD in an update to residents.

“The only one larger than one hectare is Mara Mountain, which is mapping at five hectares burning in steep, high-elevation terrain.”

The Shuswap Emergency program has activated an Emergency Operations Centre in response to the fires.

Overnight, several lightning strikes were recorded and more fires may start as a result.