More than 250 Firefighters Continue to Battle Lava Canyon Blaze

Friday, September 18, 2009 11:13 AM

Alexis Creek, B.C. – Crews yesterday burned off large pockets of un-burnt fuel within the perimeter of the Lava Canyon wildfire.

Ignition specialists used a helicopter-mounted torch to ignite ground fuels below. Removing fuels from within the fire’s perimeter diminishes fire behaviour and helps to consolidate established guard lines.

Crews continue to patrol the perimeter of the fire and extinguish any hot spots. A scan of the west and south flanks of the fire revealed that very few hot spots remain along the perimeter in those areas.

Although wind increased to 40 kilometres an hour yesterday, the guards along the fire edge were not compromised.

Helicopters bucketed hot spots along the northeast flank of the fire yesterday to ensure that the fire didn’t have enough momentum to spot over established guard lines. Crews were able to burn off pockets of fuel in the morning when the weather conditions were appropriate.

Access to the area surrounding the Lava Canyon fire remains restricted. Road blocks are in place to ensure there is no access to closed roads. Anyone planning to travel in the area is encouraged to visit www.bcwildfire.ca to learn more about the Restricted Area Order.

An Evacuation Alert remains in place for some homes affected by the fire. Please contact the Cariboo Regional District at 250-392-4283 for more information. Structure protection is still in place within the Evacuation Alert area. The units are in place along the Bayliff Road and further west along Highway 20.

Resources on the Lava Canyon Fire today include 255 firefighters, 9 helicopters, 18 pieces of heavy equipment, and 38 support staff.

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