Strong winds have brought smoky skies to Merritt from wildfires burning to the west of the Nicola Valley.
The BC Wildfire Service says it’s received many reports and questions about smoke in areas of southern B.C., particularly in the Nicola and the South Thompson.
However, none of the wildfires burning in the Kamloops Fire Centre have caused the smoke that’s settling in the local valleys, fire information officer Kelsey Winter told the Herald.
Wildfires burning on the west coast of the province are the sources of the smoke that’s settled here.
“[The smoke] hasn’t been able to lift up into the upper atmosphere yet, so right now we’re just socked in from those fires on the coast,” Winter said.
There is only one active wildfire in the Merritt Fire Zone, which is in a mop-up stage, and that is the fire that broke out in a wood waste pile at a hogfuel plant in Lower Nicola last week.
At the moment, no smoky skies advisory has been issued due to the smoke,Winter said.
While that could change, Winter said the fire centre is expecting some rain in the Merritt Fire Zone by Thursday that could help clear up the smoke.
The smoke from the coast is settling in valley bottoms around the B.C. Interior and is drifting in from fires such as the Wood Lake fire along Harrison Lake, and the Cougar Creek fire west of Boston Bar.
The Wood Lake fire was discovered on Sunday about 20 kilometres north of Harrison Hot Springs and has grown to an estimated 100 hectares in size, the BC Wildfire Service stated on its webpage.
The fire is suspected to have been human-caused, and 70 firefighters along with six helicopters are attacking the blaze.
Although it’s burning in a “much-used recreational forested area,” the BC Wildfire Service states it isn’t a threat to homes or structures, and the fire is currently burning northward away from Harrison Hot Springs.
Some nearby campers, however, were moved out of the area.
The fire is not contained at the moment.
The Cougar Creek wildfire, south of the Nahatlatch River, was discovered a month ago and is 45 per cent contained. It is nearly 2,900 hectares in size and 77 firefighters along with four helicopters are working to extinguish it.
Winter said the wildfire danger rating is currently extreme in the Merritt Fire Zone and the expected rain is only about one to three millimetres, meaning it won’t do much to drop the fire danger rating.
The BC Wildfire Service is advising the public that if they spot a column of smoke — not general haziness — or a wildfire, please report it immediately by calling *5555 or 1-800-663-5555.