Firefighting crews from the BC Wildfire Service are continuing to work on containing the Mt. Grice-Hutchinson fire in a remote area of the Anstey Peninsula, southwest of Seymour Arm.
The fire is now pegged at 7.9 hectares and one cabin in the area has been completely lost to fire. Fire investigators have been to the site and continue to look into the cause of the fire. It is suspected the fire is human-caused, rather than from a lightning strike.
In an effort to protect the additional cabins in the boat-in only area, BC Wildfire Service has deployed a Structure Protection Unit. This unit will set up multiple sprinkler systems on and around structures to add moisture and increase the humidity in the area. These systems reduce the chance that embers will ignite the structures.
The Evacuation Alert remains in place for the cabins in the Mt. Grice-Hutchinson area.
The wildfire is burning in heavy timber on a west-facing steep slope. Rank one and rank two fire behaviour has been observed meaning the fire is smouldering surface fire with open flame and a slow rate of spread.
The BC Wildfire Service continues to work on the blaze with both ground and air resources, including helicopters and air tankers. The public is asked to stay clear of this area for safety reasons and to avoid interfering with firefighting operations.
There has also been a new small fire started on Thursday, August 17 in a remote area near Humamilt Lake. The cause is unknown and it is small in size at 0.01 hectares.
The Shuswap Emergency Program is in regular contact with the BC Wildfire Service and will update residents as new information is available.
Photo: A BC Wildfire Service helicopter landing a firefighting crew on the beach. (Derek Sutherland/CSRD photo)