Smoke from the Ross Moore Lake fire on July 27, 2023. (Photo via BC Wildfire Service)
The BC Wildfire Service is reporting some increased fire activity on the northwest corner of the Ross Moore Lake fire near Kamloops.
The increased fire activity is leading to a column on smoke that is highly visible along the Coquihalla and in the surrounding areas.
“The area that is currently most active is within the existing fire perimeter,” the BC Wildfire Service said. “The fire has not breached fire guards and there is no imminent threat to structures or travel corridors.”
Argo Road Maintenance is advising that local roads in the area are shutdown, including Long Lake Road, Jackson Road, Goose Lake Road and the Lac Le Jeune Road at Meadow Lake.
Lac Le Jeune road to Kamloops does remain open.
CLOSURES DUE TO WILDFIRES
🛑 Long Lake Road.
🛑 Jackson Road.
🛑 Goose Lake Road.
🛑 Lac le Jeune Road. There is a wildfire at Meadow Creek Road. Junction of Meadow Creek Road to Lac Le Jeune community is closed. Lac Le Jeune Road to Kamloops remains open. pic.twitter.com/N51JIv96Ww— Argo Roads Thompson (@Argo_Thompson) July 28, 2023
Information Officer, Forrest Tower, says the fire had been mostly burning Rank 1 and 2 since Monday, thanks to the cooler and wetter weather in the area. It was burning Rank 3 in pockets of unburnt fuel within the fire perimeter.
“Forecast weather is not expected to significantly increase fire behaviour,” the Wildfire Service said Thursday.
Crews are mopping up hot spots in the northeast and southeast corners of the fire while also building a guard using heavy equipment in the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest flanks. That work is expected to take three days.
“Fire behaviour in the coming days will allow crews to establish fire guards closer to the current fire perimeter,” the Wildfire Service added.
“Airtankers and helicopters have been actively working on this incident since its detection. Operations were limited due to poor visibility on July 22 but on July 23 and 24, airtankers worked through the day to apply fire suppressant.”
The lightning caused fire is still estimated to be 26-square kilometres in size.
There are 344 properties in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District that remain on evacuation order. Another 200 or so properties in both the TNRD and the Knutsford area of Kamloops remain on evacuation alert.
