Environment Canada has issued severe thunderstorm watches for much of the region, from the Prince George region to the Similkameen, Okanagan and Kootenays. The weather service said “conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain.” “Strong lightning is possible with any developing storm,” the alert read.
High to extreme fire hazard
Fire danger in the same area of the province is mostly high, with pockets of extreme danger in the West Kootenay. According to the province, a fire danger rating of “high” or greater means forest fuels are very dry and new fires could “start easily, burn vigorously and challenge fire suppression efforts.” The BC Wildfire Service website showed lightning-started fires Wednesday in Coastal, Kamloops, Southeast and Cariboo fire stations, including 10 starts on Vancouver Island, but all remain small. BC Fire Service information officer Karley Desrosiers said lightning is normal for July and August in parts of BC, especially when temperatures rise and there is more moisture in the air. “We didn’t have nearly as much lightning as last year,” he said. “It’s been a great year for the Lightning.” Neal McLoughlin, the chief of forecast services for the BC Wildfire Service, said Wednesday crews were already monitoring the weather pattern from the U.S. He said the weather could bring strong winds that could speed the spread of active fires, without bringing much rain. “Although [rain] conditions may ease for a day or two, our indices will continue to rise and we won’t see enough rain to put out the fires.”
Residents of Olalla can return to their homes
Residents of the British Columbia community of Olalla are now allowed to return to their homes after being forced to flee a life-threatening wildfire last week. Environment Canada issued heat warnings for the Fraser Canyon, northern Thompson and inland parts of the north and central coast as temperatures in the mid to high 30s were expected to continue into Friday inland. The weather bureau said Thursday’s forecast storms were likely to pack winds gusting up to 80 kilometers per hour, conditions the fire service warned could complicate work on the blaze threatening Olalla. The fire is located 21 kilometers southwest of Penticton and has burned about 67 square kilometers. The fire remains uncontained, and while the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District has canceled nearly half of the nearly 500 evacuation orders covering properties closest to the fire, 273 in the region remain in effect. Nearly 400 properties are on evacuation alert, meaning they must be ready to leave immediately. The district said evacuation warnings for residents of the nearby village of Keremeos have been lifted, but the Apex Mountain resort and surrounding homes remain under evacuation orders. As of Thursday morning, there have been five fires throughout B.C. — fires that are highly visible or endanger public safety. The fire near Lytton, B.C., is no longer considered significant, nearly a month after it started burning. A new wildfire near Chetwynd, BC, called the Hasler Lake Fire, has been upgraded to a large fire. The BC Wildfire Service said the fire, although less than one square kilometer in size, is “highly visible” from Highway 97.
