UPDATE: 12:09 p.m None of the six small fires believed to have been started by lightning Sunday night are threatening any structures. Each of them – four near Merritt and two in the Kamloops area – are less than a hectare in size. The four fires near Merritt are on Edgar Creek, Cummings Road, Petey Creek Road and Spius Creek. Initial attack crews have been deployed to all but Spius Creek, and a helicopter is assisting crews at Edgar Creek. The two blazes near Kamloops are at Knouff Creek and Frederick Landing. The Knouff Creek fire was attacked Sunday night and is now listed as under control, while the Frederick Landing fire has an initial attack crew on scene. ORIGINAL STORY: 9:52 a.m Half a dozen new blazes ignited in the Kamloops fire center overnight as storms rolled through much of the region. “We have identified six new fires since yesterday afternoon that may be a result of the lightning that came through the Kamloops Fire Station,” fire information officer Taylor MacDonald told Castanet. Only two of the fires appear so far on BC Wildfire Service mapping – one near Knouff Lake and another on the north shore of Kamloops Lake, both believed to be spot size. Castanet asked for more information on the other four new fires. MacDonald said fires caused by lightning sometimes take days or even weeks to make themselves felt. “In wet conditions a lightning may ignite but not immediately turn into a fire, but in heat it may simmer underground for several days or even weeks, and then, as the weather dries and warms, it may to flare up to fill – fires broke out,” he said. “These are called stay fires and that’s why we continue to monitor areas after tracking a lightning system.” MacDonald said members of the public play an important role in reporting fires caused by lightning. “After lightning moves through an area, the local fire station can patrol the area to look for any signs of fire,” he said. “The public is also a valuable fire reporting resource and often assists in reporting lightning strikes during hot/dry periods and resulting fires.” The Kamloops Fire Center covers a wide area that stretches from the Cariboo Mountains in the north to the US border in the south.
