BC Fires update Update BC to burn until the snow comes !!

It seems it has flared up again ,thousands have been asked to be ready to evacuate,or have already evacuated: Here's a picture from a NASA satellite of Terrace Mtn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

              ....Here's the story from moments ago:  

KELOWNA, B.C. — Nearly 2,500 residents in this central B.C. city were put under evacuation order Saturday as the massive forest fire on Terrace Mountain flared up.

The same number of residents were also put on evacuation alert and told to be ready to abandon their homes at any time, said Kelowna emergency operations centre spokesman Bruce Smith.

The fire, which was stoked by northerly winds, was actively burning on the west flank of Terrace Mountain.

The fire covered about 8,550 hectares and was 40 per cent contained as of Saturday morning. Investigators believe the fire was caused by humans.

There were 433 firefighters, 16 helicopters and 96 heavy equipment units assigned to the battle the blaze.

Meanwhile, firefighters have pushed back the 3,800-hectare fire on Mt. McLean in Lillooet, B.C., about 300 kilometres northwest of Kelowna.

Fire crews were able to contain 50 per cent of the blaze as of Saturday morning.

About 2,500 Lillooet residents were placed under an evacuation order earlier this week when the blaze, which was started by a lightning strike July 22, sped downhill to within 100 metres of homes.

That order was reduced to an alert on Thursday, as the fire began running out of tinder-dry fuel and officials were able to conduct successful burn-off operations.

Ten pieces of heavy equipment, 81 firefighters, 80 support personnel, and 11 helicopters are battling the fire as of Saturday.

While the threat to Lillooet has been reduced, fire officials were still concerned that current conditions, which include temperatures in peaking in the low 30s, combined with lower humidity, increased winds and dry fuel could still lead to rapid spread.

                        .Be careful out there Cookie & any of our other members reading this.

                                                                                                     HF&RV

   .Here's the recent Update August 09,2009

  

               

LILLOOET, B.C. — Though the fight against fires in British Columbia is looking promising, the struggle is far from over, an official said Friday.

"It's looking good, but fires will probably be burning until the snow comes," said Tim Neal, a provincial fire information officer.

Fire officials made significant gains on the 3,800-hectare fire at Mt. McLean, which eventually resulted in an evacuation order in the B.C. Interior community of Lillooet being downgraded to an alert Thursday.

With many of Lillooet's 2,000 residents trickling back into town, Neal said, firefighters and police are being faced with a new challenge.

"We have to watch out for traffic and pedestrians," he joked, saying it's nice to not be in a "ghost town" anymore.

The Mt. McLean fire was discovered on July 22 and is currently listed at 40 per cent contained.

Many residents in the Interior city of Kelowna were still under an evacuation order Friday, as the Terrace Mountain fire continued to burn.

Bruce Smith, public relations officer for the Kelowna emergency operations centre, said 2,150 residents remain on evacuation order, while another 2,526 are on alert.

A flare-up on Thursday night caused the fire to grow by 200 hectares to 8,550 hectares.

B.C. has already recorded 2,200 wildfires this year, compared with 1,200 for an average fire season, from April to October.

Lightning strikes have been responsible for 90 per cent of the fires this year. Some others have been caused by humans.

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