Lightning Sparks Fires in Cariboo

By 250 News

Williams Lake, B.C. – Wildfire fighters from the Cariboo Fire Centre were busy over the weekend responding to 18 new fires since Friday.

A severe lightning storm over the weekend is suspected to be the cause of 17 of these fires.  The largest is estimated to be 2.9 hectares and is burning near the Barkerville Highway, east of Quesnel.  When fire crews responded Sunday night the fire was burning in some piled logs, which slowed suppression efforts. Eleven firefighters and one water truck are working on the fire. The fire is under control, 100 per cent machine-guarded and being mopped up and patrolled today, with crews expected to be released later in the day.

Today, fire crews are working to suppress six small lightning-caused fires, which were discovered Monday morning and are not posing any problems. The other fires from the weekend are all either contained or out, and no communities or structures were threatened by any of the weekend fires.

A crew responded to one human-caused fire which was a slash pile burning by a roadside near Hanceville in the Chilcotin Forest District.

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us