Backcountry users are still allowed access to the great outdoors in the Cariboo.
BC Wildfire Service said Sunday it has not implemented any backcountry closures in the Cariboo Region and “all trails and backroads not affected by area restriction orders, evacuation orders, or under municipal jurisdiction,” remain open for public use.
However, the BCWS urged people to check the local fire danger rating, download the BC Wildfire Service app, and stay up to date with location-specific wildfire information.
“Members of the public must remain vigilant and act responsibly when recreating in the backcountry,” BCWS said in an update.
The fire danger rating in the Cariboo is listed as mostly high across the Cariboo Fire Centre, with pockets of extreme and moderate.
There are seven wildfires of note within the Cariboo Fire Centre, with three of them - Deka Lake, Succour Lake and Canim Lake - being managed by an Incident Management Team. The IMT is managing 46 active wildfires to the north of Highway 24 and east of Highway 97 within this zone. Nine are classified as “being held” and 16 as “under control.”
READ MORE: Canim Lake fire now 1,640 ha, Succour Lake listed as fire of note
The other fires of note include Big Stick Lake fire, south of Anahim Lake and North of Big Stick and Clearwater Lake, Churn Creek Protected Area, Purdy Lake and Flat Lake.
BCWS said elevated winds increased the wildfire behaviour in the Big Stick area Saturday and ground personnel had to pull back from the wildfire due to safety concerns with egress routes. The focus Sunday was on re-establishing control lines with heavy equipment and hose lay in areas that the wildfire crossed the guard. Aircraft will work to cool hot spots while controls lines are constructed. An evacuation alert has been upgraded to an order by the Cariboo Regional District.
Meanwhile, firefighters continue to monitor the 2,566-ha fire in the Churn Creek Protected Area, while a collaborative plan with BC Parks has been developed within the Kuskoil Lake Park for the 2,250-ha fire burning near Purdy Lake.
“Heavy machinery will focus efforts on building guard on the east and south flank to create containment lines while ground personnel continue to complete a hose lay.”
Ground personnel, heavy equipment, and aerial support in the form of helicopters will continue to suppress the wildfire near Flat Lake, west of 100 Mile House, which is estimated to be 300 ha.
There are eight active wildfires burning in the Quesnel Fire Zone, 10 in the Central Cariboo Zone, including the 1,500-ha wildfire near McKinley Lake, and eight in the Chilcotin zone.
kelly.sinoski@100milefreepress.net
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