A forest fire has come dangerously close to homes and a ranch around the community of Tl’etinqox (Anaham) near Alexis Creek, west of Williams Lake.
Resident Sid Harry said BC Wildfire Service crews and neighbours fought the blaze into the night Friday night (April 28) protecting homes on the west side of the reserve.
He confirmed no homes have been lost so far to the fire as of Saturday morning, which is named C50100 on the BC Wildfire Service map.
The fire, also called the Dripping Water fire, is estimated to be 150 hectares in size and is listed as out of control. It was discovered April 27 and is suspected to be human-caused.
BC Wildfire Service communication specialist Madison Dahl said Saturday morning no alerts or evacuation orders have been issued at this time for the Dripping Water Fire. She confirmed tactical evacuations of some homes in the area were conducted Friday night out of an abundance of caution. There were no structures lost or property damage, however, the fire did jump the guard.
Dahl said Saturday’s plan is to reestablish the a fire guard. Air support, ground crews and heavy equipment will also be used to gain control of the fire, which is located about nine kilometres southeast of Alexis Creek.
Motorists on Highway 20 are advised to use caution as there is smoke in the area.
Saturday’s weather forecast is calling for a temperature of 28C with the potential for gusty winds.
The Cariboo Fire Centre has seen 12 fires within 48 hours in recent days, prompting the BC Wildfire Service to urge residents to be cautious while burning.
“The majority of these wildfires are currently classified as under control, however some have presented significant challenges to suppress and contain. Please exercise extreme caution when conducting outdoor burning,” it noted.
Effective at noon on Thursday, May 4 Category 3 open fires will be prohibited across the entire Cariboo Fire Centre region. The prohibition includes the Cariboo Chilcotin Forest District, the 100 Mile House Forest District and the Quesnel Forest District.
In the interest of preventing human caused wildfires & protecting public safety, Category 3 open fires will be banned throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre effective 12 p.m. (PDT) on May 4. For more info, including a map of the affected area: https://t.co/3xAjiyVNbJ #BCWildfire pic.twitter.com/MfoBO9Aspd
— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) April 28, 2023
The open burning prohibition is intended to prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.
Specifically, prohibited activities that would constitute a Category 3 open fire include:
any fires larger than two meters high by three meters wide;
three or more concurrently burning piles no larger than two meters high by three meters wide;
burning of one or more windrows; and
burning of stubble or grass over an area greater than 0.2 hectares.
READ MORE: Cariboo region sees 12 fires in 48 hours; public urged to use extreme caution when burning
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