A wildfire has been discovered burning in the North Okanagan.
According to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), the fire is burning in the Creighton Valley area, just outside of Lumby, B.C.
A map showing where the fire has been discovered, which is roughly 17 km east of Lumby, B.C.
BCWS
It’s roughly 3 hectares – 320,000 square feet.
The fire is deemed to be burning out of control by B.C. wildfire officials and is expected to be started by humans.
According to the Lumby and District Fire Department, which is fighting the fire with assistance from BCWS, the fire probably started due to someone burning slash, which is leftover fuel from logging activities.
The fire department told Global News it is getting the “upper hand” in the battle.
The Creighton Valley area is 17 km east of Lumby.
Lumby Mayor Kevin Acton said he was caught by surprise hearing the news of the wildfire.
“It’s really early in the year for something like this. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before, actually,” Acton said.
He said the surrounding community is concerned, especially with this year’s total amount of snow and rainfall, so far.
“It’s been a very different year for us. The snowpack is good in the higher elevations but down low – it’s been quite dry for this time of year and the snow elevation is high up in the hills,” Acton said.
According to the B.C. government, the snow basin in the area is around 80 per cent of normal.
Global News has reached out to the BC Wildfire Service for an interview and more information.
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