The Lower East Adams Lake fire as seen during a thermal scan flight Tuesday night shows a lenticular cloud above a pyrocumulonimbus clouds. (Photo VeriMap PLUS Inc/BC Wildfire Service)
The BC Wildfire Service is warning that there is a chance that areas currently on evacuation alert due to the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire could be put on order today or tomorrow, August 17 or 18.
It says the “severe wind event” expected today, will lead to some “extreme fire behaviour” where wind and slope align.
The fire is still north of a machine guard being build, and is approximately four kilometres north of the nearest structure in Lee Creek, which is on evacuation alert, as is nearby Scotch Creek.
CSRD spokesperson Tracy Hughes told Radio NL the evacuation alert covers about 2,214 addresses in the North Shuswap – 1,457 in Scotch Creek and 757 in Lee Creek. She’s also asking tourists in the area to consider going back home.
After some significant eastward growth overnight Tuesday, the Wildfire Service says there was less growth Wednesday afternoon because of calmer winds and widespread smoke.
“However, the fire is burning in and across the Corning Creek drainage, which threatens southward movement on Friday when winds are forecast to switch to northerlies,” it said.
Approximately 30 properties most at risk have had structure protection set up on “based on defensibility and triage” by structure protection specialists.
“Structure protection resources are mobilized and will be set up as needed based on fire growth and direction of spread,” the BCWS added. “Structure protection can only be set up in defensible areas, so familiarization with FireSmart principles for a defensible home is important.”
The lighting-caused fire is estimated to be 100 square kilometres in size, as the BCWS took to social media to explain how satellite imagery and mapping tools can give a general picture of fire activity but cautioned that is should not be relied on for details, after heat outside the fire perimeter was falsely detected as wildfire hotspots.
Evacuation alerts also remain in place in the Dorian Bay, Woolford Point, and Enns Reach areas along the shores of Adams Lake, while an Evacuation Order is also in place for the Adams Lake Indian Reserve I.R. 1 – Cstèlen (Hustalen).
On the west shore of Adams Lake, there are 73 TNRD properties on evacuation alert, as well as for Interfor’s Adams Lake sawmill.
“The structure protection system at the Interfor site continues to be tested and maintained,” the BCWS said.
Bush Creek East Update
The Bush Creek East fire on the other side of Adams Lake is currently estimated to be about 33 square kilometres in size. It too is expected to grow due to the winds, expected to be from the southwest between 20 and 40km/hr Thursday before switching out of the northwest on Friday.
“Once this wind event begins, there will likely be growth on both Bush Creek East and Lower East Adams Lake,” the BCWS said. “As the fire has burned down to the lake across much of the eastern side the growth on Bush Creek East may be diminished by previous fire activity along the lake removing available fuel.”
The BC Wildfire Service also reported numerous challenges at this due to the winds on Wednesday, noting the fire grew about 1 to 1.5 km towards the south.
“There was a small slop-over on the west flank but crews were able to catch it quickly,” the BCWS said. “The fire continues to move upslope and is being influenced by erratic winds. Across various sections of the fire today there were simultaneous winds from the south, north, and east.”
“There was no uniform direction of spread, the perimeter just got slightly larger around much of the fire. The fire is estimated to be approximately 500 meters to one kilometre from the established guard. Two heavy lift helicopters, a Chinook and Kamax, are currently providing bucketing support.”
A numbers of TNRD properties are on evacuation alert due to the Bush Creek East Fire. That includes 13 properties on the west shore of Adams Lake, 85 properties in the Agate Bay area, as well as 12 properties in the Fadear Creek Road area on the western flank of the fire.
The Agate Bay area properties have been on evacuation alert since Monday, Aug. 7, while the Fadear Creek Road properties been on evacuation alert since July 23.
Evacuation orders and alerts in place around the Adams Lake area due to the Bush Creek East fire (left) and the Lower East Adams Lake fire (right). (Photo via BC Wildfire Service)
For the latest on the Lower East Adams Lake Fire, go here.
For the latest on the Bush Creek East Fire, go here.
