B.C. crews battling cluster of new wildfires in Lillooet area

The Shetland Creek wildfire is seen in this handout from the BC Wildfire Service.

Firefighters are working on a cluster of new blazes that were sparked by lightning overnight in the Lillooet Fire Zone, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

Out of the five new fires, one is located between Lillooet and Cache Creek, and the other four are north of Lytton.

The BCWS summarized its current response to each of the fires in a social media post Saturday.

It said the Mount Martley wildfire, burning 6.5 kilometres south of Pavilion Lake, is “spot size” and exhibiting rank 1 and 2 fire behaviour—meaning smouldering ground fire and low vigour surface fire.

An initial attack crew has been sent to that fire, and is doing danger tree assessment and falling and laying out fire hoses. “They will be supported by helicopter as needed,” the BCWS wrote.

Air tankers are responding to the Shetland Creek wildfire as it is not accessible by road. That blaze is located about 7.5 kilometres north of Spences Bridge and is 0.7 hectares in size.

About 18 kilometres southwest of Ashcroft, the White Mountain wildfire has burned three hectares and is displaying rank 2 and some rank 3 fire behaviour. Rank 3 constitutes “moderately vigorous” surface fire.

An attack crew is on site at that fire, as are air tankers. More firefighters, a bulldozer and a water tender are on the way.

The BCWS is currently planning its response to the spot-sized Teit Creek wildfire 5.5 kilometres north of Spences Bridge, which is a smouldering ground fire.

And an initial attack crew is working on gaining access to a single tree burning that has been called the Murray Creek wildfire.

The BCWS says no structures are currently threatened by any of the new fires.

The agency says more wildfires might crop up in the area as temperatures rise and wind speeds increase—conditions that will also affect behaviour on existing fires.

As of Saturday afternoon, there were 156 active wildfires in B.C., with 19 of them starting in the last 24 hours. Sixty-eight, or 44 per cent, are classified as out of control. Seventy-seven per cent of current fires were caused by lightning.

In its Saturday situation report, the BCWS says after 11 days of continued heat in southern B.C., forest fuels are very dry and susceptible to catching fire. There’s a risk of dry lightning strikes in B.C.’s southeast that will continue through the weekend.

A province-wide campfire ban took effect at noon on Friday.