Wind, hot, dry weather fans flames of wildfires in B.C.'s Interior and north
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Hundreds of wildfires continue to burn across B.C. as hot, dry conditions fan the flames of fires in the province's north and Interior.
As of Monday afternoon, there are nearly 500 wildfires in the province, many of which were sparked in the past three days. There are 23 fires of note. These are fires that are considered highly visible or pose a threat to human safety.
Among those is the Ross Moore Lake wildfire, burning in the small farming community of Knutsford, B.C., just 24 kilometres south of Kamloops. It covers 18 square kilometres and has prompted the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) to order the evacuation of 344 properties.
Knutsford rancher Doug Haughton told CBC News that the fire has grown "immensely" since it was discovered on July 21. As he spoke on Monday morning, he said he could hear helicopters passing overhead helping with firefighting efforts.
Regional district information officer Colton Davies said smoke from the blaze is "extremely visible" from both the Coquihalla Highway and Highway 5A, and strong winds blowing northeast fanned the growth of the fire and spread smoke over Kamloops and other communities.
The Ross Moore Lake wildfire south of Kamloops was suspected to have been caused by lightning. (Submitted by Katie Corneille)
Davies said the region's high temperatures and low humidity created an environment for the fire to spread quickly over the weekend, and the threat is persisting.
"We are expecting, just looking at the forecast, more winds today, which is never ideal for fire situations," he said.
Haughton, director of Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) Electoral Area L, says he worked all day Sunday to evacuate livestock from his ranch as the fire approached.
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The wildfire is burning in many of his neighbours' yards.
"I haven't been hit too hard yet, I'm not going to complain," he said. "Everybody along Long Lake Road ... is at risk."
He said ash falling from the sky is starting spot fires.
Haughton's neighbour Tammy Osborne, who owns a pet resort in Knutsford, didn't wait for an evacuation order to close her business and evacuate.
"We've got 68 pets that are boarding," she told Daybreak Kamloops guest host Doug Herbert. "I'm not waiting."
The St. Mary's River wildfire is seen burning north of Cranbrook, B.C., earlier this week. Dozens of people have had to leave their homes in a First Nation community due to the blaze, which has burned through homes. (Submitted by Bob Bennison)
Two hours later, the animals had been evacuated, thanks to help from neighbours, customers and employees.
Now, she is in the nearby community of Cherry Creek, where a former kennel business there has opened up their home to Osborne, her husband and their pets.
"The support was so amazing."
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Thumbnail courtesy of Doug Herbert/CBC.
This article was originally written for CBC News. It contains files from The Canadian Press.
