Photo: UBCIC
Heavy smoke from the Nohomin Creek wildfire on Thursday.
UPDATE: 2:40 p.m
Hot temperatures and low humidity led to an increase in fire behavior at the Nohomin Creek Wildfire on Thursday.
Fire Information Officer Carly Derosiers says the fire is growing in the northern part of the west flank of the fire and is showing Category 4 behavior in some areas.
“The fire has some upward growth, it’s not spreading quickly by any means,” Desrosiers said.
“Because of the heat and conditions, it continues to grow upward and become more visible as fire behavior has increased. Produces more smoke.”
The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs posted photos on Twitter showing the huge plume of smoke coming from the fire Thursday afternoon.
Desrosiers says it is currently not spreading further into the Stein Valley, but is instead climbing up the mountain.
“It calms down a bit at the top where the slope isn’t as steep and we have helicopters flying buckets … it’s quite rocky up there,” she said.
“Upward growth is not unusual, especially in this heat and humidity.”
Homes that were evacuated when the fire first broke out are on the south and east slopes of the fire, and Desrosiers says they haven’t seen any increase in fire behavior there.
Hot temperatures in the Lytton area and much of southern British Columbia are forecast to continue through the long weekend.
A fire near Lytton, in the Steyn Valley, is growing. It spreads very quickly, on the side of the mountain. pic.twitter.com/4rqGqrOODo
— UBCIC (@UBCIC) July 28, 2022
ORIGINAL: 10:10 am
The province’s largest wildfire led to some increased fire behavior on Wednesday, and warmer temperatures and low humidity on Thursday could see that trend continue.
The Nohomin Creek wildfire has been burning northwest of Lytton since July 14, while fire behavior has slowed somewhat over the past week. But the British Columbia Wildfire Service says conditions could turn unfavorable Thursday.
“Today, July 28, temperatures are expected to reach 41 degrees, with low humidity,” BCWS says.
“There is a small risk of a dry lightning event and associated winds in the vicinity of the fire. This could increase fire activity from mid-day, especially on south-facing slopes.
The latest mapping of the large fire increased its size estimate to 2,476 hectares, with the growth coming on the western flank of the Stein Valley fire.
“In this area, crews are working to establish wet lines and no fuel zones. Crews are also patrolling the Stryen Creek area and working to extinguish the remaining hotspots,” BCWS says.
“In recent days, the Structure Protection branch installed 1,150 feet of hose and sprinkler systems, westbound, along the Stein Valley Trail. The purpose of this water supply system is to increase the moisture content of the fuel and the relative humidity of the valley floors to protect the park’s infrastructure and cultural assets.
Evacuation orders remain in effect Nohomeen IR 13, Papyum IRs 27, 27A, Lytton IR 27B, Papyum Graveyard 27C and Stryen IR 9.
On Wednesday, the British Columbia Wildfire Service released drone footage of 616 meters of a fuel containment line that had been built on the northwest flank of the fire.
“For approximately three days, crews used hand tools to dig down to the mineral soil and create a fuel discontinuity in the forest floor. A no-fuel containment line is a strategically planned barrier that is constructed manually or mechanically,” the BCWS said.
“It is intended to stop or slow the rate of spread of a fire and from which extinguishing actions are taken to control the fire.”
106 firefighters remain on the blaze, along with 10 helicopters and three units of heavy equipment.
Containment lines are being reinforced on various sections of the Nohomin Creek Wildfire (K70580). This video shows the 616 meters of unfueled containment line that was constructed on the northwest flank of the fire. pic.twitter.com/3nQJW8UVvB
— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) July 27, 2022
Photo: BCWS
The latest mapping of the Nohomin Creek wildfire as of July 28.
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