New B.C. wildfires burning out of control near Harrison Lake

A couple of new B.C. wildfires have been discovered burning out of control near Harrison Lake.

The Chehalis River wildfire is burning roughly 10 kilometres west of Harrison Lake and 1.3 kilometres north of Chehalis Lake.

It is currently assessed at six hectares and is suspected to be human-caused.

“There are multiple aviation resources fighting the fire and 16 firefighters,” said Kimberly Kelly, a fire information officer.

“That includes air tankers, skimmers, and multiple helicopters.”

The other wildfire, named V10597, is much smaller in size and is roughly one kilometre west of Harrison Lake, on the southern side.

It is currently assessed at half of a hectare and is burning out of control. There is one ground crew and a helicopter actioning the fire.

The fire is suspected to be human-caused as well.

According to the BC Wildfire Service, conditions across the entire B.C. South Coast are extremely dry.

“The entire Coastal Fire Centre is in a moderate to high danger rating. This has been one of the driest Mays into June on record so far for the coast,” Kelly said.

“There are challenging conditions but our firefighters are expected to meet their objectives (today.)”

The BC Wildfire Service is reminding British Columbians to be responsible when they are in the backcountry areas and to handle open flames responsibly.

There is currently an industrial and backyard burning prohibition for the Coastal Fire Centre region.

by Global News