A wildfire burning near Cherryville Aug. 1, 2018.

Image Credit: Jessie Campbell

There’s a good chance you’ll notice some smoke in the hills around the Southern Interior today after numerous fires started around the region last night due to lightning.

B.C. Wildfire information officer Nicole Bonnett says there were approximately 20 confirmed new fire starts in the Kamloops Fire Centre Tuesday evening, July 31, with about 16 of them concentrated in the area from Vernon to Salmon Arm, north to Clearwater and east to Revelstoke.

“They’re not threatening any structures or communities at this time. Because it’s such a high traffic area and there are communities in the area they’ll definitely be visible to the communities in nearby areas,” she says.

Bonnett says it can take a while for a lightning strike to show up as a fire, so anyone who thinks they’ve spotted a new wildfire is encouraged to call in and report it.

Few details are available for specific fires so far today, Aug. 1, but Bonnett says B.C. Wildfire is assessing all of them and assigning resources as necessary.

The B.C. Wildfire map shows numerous suspected lightning-caused fires around Vernon today in the following areas (locations are unconfirmed): Proctor Road, Spallumcheen forest, Harris Creek Forest Service Road, Mount Mabel, Derry Drainage, and Sugar Mountain (visible from Cherryville). In the Salmon Arm areas, B.C. Wildfire is investigating fires in the Larch Hills area, Mount Bastion and the Mara Lake area. There are also a handful of fires that started in the Sicamous area.

Witnesses in the Cherryville area say there is a smoky fire visible in the Silver Hills area that is receiving air support from B.C. Wildfire. 

To report a wildfire or irresponsible behaviour call 1 800 663-5555 or *5555 from a cell phone.

For more information:

For the latest on road closures go to the Drive B.C. website here.

For the latest information on air quality go here.

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News from © iNFOnews, 2018