WILLIAMS LAKE – Extreme temperatures and gusty winds have caused a lightning strike fire in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park to grow quickly, reaching an estimated 500 hectares.

 

The fire, discovered Thursday, July 8, is burning within a modified response area in the park, where access is extremely limited. B.C. Forest Service personnel are working in conjunction with B.C. Parks to establish trigger points and monitor the fire’s activity.  Crews are assessing access to the fire and will action the fire as necessary to keep the fire within these trigger points.  This strategy ensures the fire burns within a designated area, allowing the natural benefits of fire ecology to occur.

 

The heat wave and lightning experienced over the past week in the Cariboo have sparked 15 new fires within the last 48 hours.  While the majority of these fires were small spot fires under one hectare, they exemplify how quickly fire activity can increase with above average temperatures drying out fuels. 

                                 

The Cariboo Fire Centre has responded to 73 fires since April 1^st of this year, which have burned a total of 895 hectares.  Of those fires, 49 have been person-caused.