The blue sky and fresh air over Okanagan Lake in Vernon today, Aug. 27, 2018 is a dramatic change from last week.
(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)
August 27, 2018 - 12:45 PM
Interior residents may have woken up to smoke-free skies this morning after a cool and soggy weekend, but don't be fooled into thinking fire season is over as the B.C. Wildfire Service still lists 10 wildfires of note burning in the Kamloops Fire Centre.
B.C. Wildfire fire information officer Nicole Bonnett says the cooler temperatures and precipitation, as well as the increase in the relative humidity, have all helped decrease fire activity and fire intensity, but fires still continue to burn.
"It definitely gives the crews a little bit more of an upper hand on the ground in some situations," she says.
Bonnett says within the Kamloops Fire Centre itself the amount of precipitation varied in all of its fire zones.
And although Bonnett says the wet and cool weather over the weekend may have helped, there are still 10 fires of note are still burning in the region, four of which are classified as out of control.
The Monashee Fire Complex — an area around Mabel and Sugar Lakes — started with 27 fires and is down to 12 fires which are still considered active by B.C. Wildfire.
This year's wildfire season has also been classified the second worst on record, only behind last year. The third worse fire season was in 1958.
The smoky skies bulletin issued for most of the province by Environment Canada is still in effect.
"Communities downwind of wildfires will continue to experience periods of elevated concentrations of fine particulate matter and poor air quality," a special weather statement says.
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