Kimberley, B.C. Placed Under Evacuation Alert as Matthew Creek Fire Grows

Matthew Creek Wildfire Expansion and Terrain Challenges

The Matthew Creek wildfire, which prompted the city-wide alert, was discovered on July 18. By Sunday evening, the fire was estimated to be 5.67 square kilometres (567 hectares) in size. According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, the blaze began at high elevation in steep, mountainous terrain that is unsafe for crews to access directly. Strong winds, steep slopes, and spruce-balsam forest helped drive rapid growth, with the blaze burning as a highly vigorous and fast-moving fire on Saturday before crews reported that fire behaviour had eased by Sunday.

Given the current and forecasted conditions on both fires, particularly with ongoing hot, dry weather and little to no rain, the BC Wildfire Service has made the recommendation that Evacuation Alerts be issued, said City of Kimberley Fire Chief Will Booth. “This is the time for residents within both Alert areas to ensure they are staying informed from factual sources, are registered for the Regional Evacuation Notification System, and are taking steps to prepare themselves and their families should conditions worsen.”

Regional District of East Kootenay St. Mary Lake Alert

In addition to the Kimberley alert, the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) has issued a separate evacuation alert for 66 properties in the St. Mary Lake area, stretching west from Kimberley. This alert is due to two separate fires burning southwest of the Matthew Creek blaze in the Tower Creek area. One of the Tower Creek fires is estimated at approximately 2.50 square kilometres (250 hectares), while the other is less than 0.5 square kilometres. Both were discovered on Friday and are believed to have been caused by lightning.

The BC Wildfire Service has mobilized heavy equipment and three helicopters to respond to the Matthew Creek wildfire. Because the fires are burning in steep and inaccessible terrain, crews are unable to work safely on the fire perimeter. Instead, work is underway for indirect attack strategies, where resources establish control lines away from the fire’s edge using natural barriers, roads, trails, fuel breaks, or constructed guards.

The City of Kimberley was last put on evacuation alert in 2018 due to the Meachen Creek wildfire, which also burned west of the city. To ensure residents receive timely information, the RDEK is urging individuals to register for its evacuation notification system. No matter where you live in the East Kootenay, please register, said Loree Duczek, information officer. “If you are already registered, please login to confirm that the pins are on your exact location as we have found that many people have used a postal code when registering or have dropped their pin in a general area. It is vital that pins be placed directly on your intended property, or you risk missing out on critical alerts or being alerted incorrectly.”

Southeast Fire Centre Lightning Strike Totals

These fires are among roughly half a dozen burning in the Southeast Fire Centre region following a sharp increase in lightning activity across British Columbia. Over a period of three days, 2,400 lightning strikes were recorded by the Southeast Fire Centre, causing at least 38 new fire starts. Furthermore, the wildfire service recorded more than 4,000 lightning strikes across the province on Friday alone, including more than 1,300 in the southeast region. As a result of the fire activity, a yellow-level air-quality warning from Environment Canada is in effect for the southern East Kootenay, including Cranbrook, due to wildfire smoke.

Sources: CBC, Abbotsford News.