Kamloops fire region hit with 112 fires since Saturday | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kamloops fire region hit with 112 fires since Saturday

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KAMLOOPS - Wildfire personnel have been dealing with 112 fires that have popped up since Saturday in the Kamloops Fire Region and are urging people to respect a fire ban.

"We're still getting reports of non-compliance with our campfire ban," said Melissa Welsh, fire information officer for the Kamloops Fire Centre. "We need these resources, they're critical to responding to natural caused fires."

Welsh's concerns come from how busy the centre has been this summer battling fires that have come with extreme heat and lightning storms as of late.

A lightning storm overnight has kept crews busy today throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre region. Thirty-six lightning initiated fires were started yesterday — with three in the Kamloops area.

"One was near Napier Lake, one was along McGillivray Forest Service Road and one was north of Pinantan," Welsh said.

While crews have the spot fires under control today, Welsh said lightning strikes can smoulder underground and spark fires during the heat of the day.

"That's something we'll be monitoring today," Welsh said.

Welsh said the largest of the 112 fires in the last few days was a 68 ha fire off of Wilson Road north of Kamloops.

"We have 34 personnel out there today still," she said, adding there is no fire activity. "They'll be going from within the perimiter making sure it's really cold and everything is wet."

Welsh is reminding the public of a campfire ban that's in place until further notice and is asking for people to report a wildfire or prohibited campfire at 1-800-663-5555 or *555 on a cell phone. For the latest on wildfire activity visit the B.C. Wildfire Management Branch online.

To contact a reporter for this story, email: jwallace@infotelnews.ca, call: (250) 319-7494 or tweet: @jess__wallace.

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