Containment lines established Monday along the west flank of the Galena Bay fire held through the night, says a spokeswoman for the Southeast Fire Centre.
“Crews and heavy equipment operators are now building a fuel-free line in the Halcyon Ridge area, south of the fire,” Gwen Eamer said in a statement. “The fire is currently estimated at 1,200 hectares.”
She said the fire has not grown significantly since Sunday, and any growth has been eastward, away from residences and the highway. It has not extended further into the Halfway River basin.
A Type-Two Incident Management Team will assume control of the fire today, bringing additional fire management expertise. Thirty-five firefighters are currently working to contain the fire, supported by 12 heavy equipment machines and five helicopters, Eamer said in the statement.
“Today, crews and heavy equipment operators are reinforcing the containment lines along the west flank of the fire, and building fire guards in the Halcyon Ridge area south of the fire,” she said. “Fire management specialists are using prescribed fire to remove fuel between established containment lines and the fire front. The fire’s size will increase as crews work to contain it.”
The Ministry of Forests and Range has closed the Halfway River and Saint Leon Forest Service roads to protect public safety and facilitate fire management activities.
An evacuation alert issued by the Regional District of the Central Kootenay and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District remains in place. For more information please contact the Emergency Operations Centre at 250-352-7701.
Smoke from the Galena Bay fire is visible across the region. It may affect travel along Highway 23 and 31. Please contact the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure at www.drivebc.ca or 1-800-550-4997 before travelling in the area.
The public reports more than half of all wildfires. Please continue to report smoke or flames by calling the toll-free emergency line at 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on most mobile networks. For further information, please visit the B.C. Wildfire Management Branch website at www.bcwildfire.ca, or call 1-888-3FOREST.
