UPDATE 4 p.m. – BC Wildfire Service crews on scene of the Ross Moore Lake fire, south of Kamloops, will be working in noticeably cooler conditions today, July 24.

Environment Canada is calling for a day time high of 27 C – much cooler than the mid-to-high 30s seen over the past five days. While the forecast is also calling for a 40 per cent chance of showers, it is also calling for wind gusts of up to 50 km/hr.

“When crews are working on the ground, they’ll take weather readings throughout the day and assess how that is affecting the fire activity that we are seeing,” BC Wildfire Service Information Officer, Shaelee Stearns, said, on the NL Noon Report.

“That is something that gets monitored and then reported back up and then it influences the objectives and the tactics that crews use on the ground.”

The fire is now estimated to be 2,600 hectares – 26 sq. km – in size, an increase which was not unexpected given the TNRD’s expanded evacuation orders that were put in place last night.

Stearns also says crews who were on scene overnight reported some favourable fire behaviour.

“They reported seeing Rank 1 and 2 fire behaviour, so that means more of a smouldering ground fire and maybe some surface level fires in certain pockets throughout the evening,” she said. “Our crews yesterday were seeing moderate to highly vigorous fire activity in the heat of the afternoon, so during that peak burning window, where we see temperatures reach the highest and the humidity at its lowest.”

“There was no day where there was significantly large runs but [the fire size] did gradually increase over the weekend with the weather that we were seeing and the influence that that had on the activity.”

Stearns says initial attack crews and a unit crew on the ground Monday will be joined by air support, as needed. A heavy equipment taskforce and structure protection crews are also responding to this fire.

“Air tankers when they do respond, they help assist the ground crews in actioning that fire. They’re not going to put the fire out, they’re going to decrease that activity that we’re seeing in that portion of the fire,” Stearns said. “So if there are not ground personnel responding in that are as well, the air support isn’t as effective as could be when paired with ground support.”

“They’re going to be actioning where ground crews are working and where we need to see that decrease in activity.”

An evacuation order remains in effect for 344 properties in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, with another 157 or so on evacuation alert.

While the fire is estimated to be about 10 km from the City of Kamloops, it has not expanded its evaluation alert for properties in Knutsford at this time

“Based on what we know, there is no indication for a need for expanded alerts or orders,” Kamloops Emergency Operations Centre Director, Greg Wightman, told Radio NL. “We are awaiting for that final word from BC Wildfire Service.”

For the latest evacuation orders and alerts within the TNRD, go here.