The Keremeos Creek wildfire July 29, 2022.
Image Credit: B.C. Wildfire Service
July 30, 2022 - 3:30 PM
Thousands of lightning strikes across B.C. have sparked new wildfires, a majority of which are in the Interior.
The B.C. Wildfire Service reported 3,995 lightning storms yesterday and last night, with close to 2,500 being located in the Kamloops Fire Centre, spanning between Blue River in the north to the U.S. border in the south and from Bridge River in the west to Monashee Mountains in the east, including the Southern Okanagan and the Lytton and Lillooet area, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
The wildfire service has responded to 40 new fires in the last 24 hours, 13 are now considered to be held, under control or out. They were mostly caused by lightning.
There are currently 30 active fires in the Kamloops Fire Centre, the largest being the Nohomin Creek wildfire near Lytton. The wildfire is currently mapped at 3,057 hectares in size and is burning out of control.
Another wildfire, discovered yesterday, July 29, near Keremeos Creek roughly 21 km southwest of Penticton, is 150 ha in size as of Saturday afternoon and is still classified as out of control.
Evacuation orders and alerts are in place for both wildfires.
The wildfire service is asking for the public’s help to report wildfires by calling 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cell phone.
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