Pasayten's Methow Valley Bulletin Board

Calcite Creek wildfire south of Princeton grows to 5,256 hectares (13,000 acres)
Casey Richardson - Aug 6, 2024 / 3:33 pm Castanet

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... 6-hectares

The Calcite Creek wildfire southwest of Princeton grew to 5,256 hectares on Tuesday as crews continue to work on containment lines.

The wildfire of note was discovered on July 18 and is listed as out of control.

An incident management team from Australia took over the fire on Monday, allowing for on-the-ground direction, rather than the central team in Kamloops.

BC Wildfire Service said in their update that the focus for the day is on the establishment of containment lines on the southwest corner, with water delivery and chainsaw work.

"Crews will also continue to establish fuel frees and helipads from Pasayten river to the end of machine guard in the southwest corner," BCWS said.

Danger tree assessing and falling will continue to support crews with containment lines and heli-pad construction.

There are currently 38 firefighters, seven helicopters, airtankers, 10 pieces of heavy equipment, and 16 structure protection personnel assigned to the fire.

The evacuation order for the Pasayten Area for 16 properties and evacuation alert for Eastgate and Placer Creek implemented by the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen remains in effect.

The RDOS emergency operations centre said the continue to provide support for BCWS.

"There have been reports of individuals accessing the Placer Forest Service Road via the Copper Creek Recreation Site east of the Pasayten River. Please avoid this area for your safety and the safety of BC Wildfire crews," said the RDOS.

Thanks Jim...

08/05/24 0924
WAOWF-541
P6 R5L0 (0617)
Wildfire
CALCITE CREEK
Okanogan Co., Pasayten River
48.999983, -120.552633 48°,60 x 120°,33.16

.
CWICC - Central WA Dispatch (@ Pangborn in E. Wenatchee) - listed it this morning.

They would have done that only IF the fire had indeed crossed the border.

https://www.wildwebe.net/incidents?dc_Name=WACWC
.

Yes... This will most likely appear on inciweb soon... Dang!!!

Wildfire near B.C.'s Manning Park burns so intensely it produces thunderstorm

Ben Miljure
CTV News Vancouver Multi-Media Journalist
Updated Aug. 5, 2024 7:17 p.m. PDT
Published Aug. 5, 2024 5:26 p.m. PDT

The Calcite Creek fire, burning near the eastern edge of Manning Park, produced a pyrocumulonimbus cloud Sunday afternoon which generated thunder and lightning strikes.

According to the BC Wildfire Service, the phenomenon is not uncommon on large, intense wildfires.

"It is something that we see. That fire was burning rank four, so a crowning fire through the canopy, and when a fire burns that hot, one of the things that we can see is that it starts to generate its own weather," said Taylor Shantz, a fire information officer.

The fire is officially listed as 4,100 hectares in size, but Shantz said that is likely an underestimate because the weather being generated by the fire made it difficult for aircraft crews to clearly see the perimeter.

Driven by high winds, the fire has now jumped the border into Washington state and crews there are coordinating with the BC Wildfire Service as they try to bring it under control.

I've heard reports that this fire, in the lower Pasayten River valley north of the border, has crossed into the Pasayten Wilderness.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... -overnight

https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca ... ber=K61067

Last reports put it at about 4100 hectares, or around 11000 acres.

Northwest winds will blow that smoke right onto us here in the valley too.