The Cool Creek wildfire burning near Eastgate is now over 17,000 ha in size.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/B.C. Wildfire Service
August 27, 2018 - 12:56 PM
PENTICTON - Widespread rain last night has aided firefighting efforts in the Similkameen.
The Cool Creek wildfire received five millimetres of rain yesterday, Aug. 26, helping firefighters with suppression efforts on the now over 17,000-hectare fire, which is still considered out of control.
The fire is burning approximately 20 km east northeast of Eastgate.
Fire Information officer Noelle Kekula says “a bonus” of between 4 and 8 mm of rain fell between Pennask Summit and the U.S. border yesterday, which aided fire crews battling both the Snowy Mountain and Old Tom Creek fires, burning south of Keremeos and northwest of Olalla, respectively.
“The rain and cooler temperatures have helped, and we’re trying to take advantage of the weather to build containment lines around the Old Tom wildfire in an effort to reach our goal of containment,” Kekula says, noting cooler temperatures are forecast for the next few days, but not a lot more rain is predicted.
The 1025 ha Old Tom fire, still classified as out of control, doubled in size over the past four days.
Kekula says crews also reported some rain on the Snowy Mountain wildfire, now at over 15,000 ha. Wildfire crews continue to work the fire’s northwest flank in the Barrington drainage area. The fire continues to grow in the Snowy Mountain Protected area, but is not advancing towards Keremeos.
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