BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has added more manpower and equipment resources to the Doctor Creek wildfire today, which grew by about 71 hectares yesterday.

The now 3,071 ha fire discovered August 18, has forced a Regional District of East Kootenay evacuation order for the Findlay Creek drainage. The lightning-caused fire is 25 km west of Canal Flats.

“Ground crews are working with the support of heavy equipment and aviation resources today. Crews continue to construct control lines north and south of Doctor Creek with support from small planned ignitions operations to reinforce lines. Helicopters continue to bucket water on the fire to help cool areas of increased activity. Suppression efforts are currently concentrated on the east flank of the fire,” BC Wildfire Service reported today (August 23).

Today there are 82 firefighters, seven helicopters and five pieces of heavy equipment attacking the fire.

“Smoke from this fire is visible from Canal Flats, other nearby communities and Highway 93/95, especially during peak daytime temperatures. This fire is burning in steep and rocky terrain. There was limited growth on the fire yesterday and movement has been mostly uphill and away from infrastructure in recent days. Structure protection systems are in use near the fire as a precautionary measure,” BCWS stated.

There were no new fires yesterday in the East Kootenay, seven still registering on BCWS’s wildfire dashboard.

The Steamboat Mountain fire, declared out-of-control at .10 ha yesterday, is now considered under control at the same scale.

The Pinnacle Creek east of Brisco is now also under control at .02 ha and the nearby Dunbar Creek fire is under control at 2.4 ha.

The Skookumchuck Creek fire is under control at .01 ha and the Kootenay River fire near Wasa is under control at 4.9 ha.

The Stirton Road fire near Marysville (3.5 ha) and the Joseph Creek fire, northeast of Moyie (.20 ha) are both under control.

Lead image: A look at the Doctor Creek fire. BC Wildfire Service photo

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