No growth reported on Shetland Creek wildfire, but a second fire sparks to the north

CACHE CREEK, B.C. — The highway between Cache Creek and Ashcroft has reopened Tuesday (July 23) afternoon as the BC Wildfire Service battles the nearby Shetland Creek Wildfire. BCWS has 156 firefighters assigned to the blaze, in addition to nine helicopters and a structure protection unit.

The fire is estimated at just under 20,000 hectares in size, with the wildfire service reporting no overnight growth on Monday (July 22). The fire was last reported to be burning Rank 2 and Rank 3, with crews working to create guard along the northern flank.

“We have had crews and structure protection personnel established on the Oregon Jack Creek Road and they have been holding the fire perimeter there at that road,” said Sarah Hall, BCWS Fire Information Officer assigned to the Shetland Creek wildfire. “There have been a couple spots that have gone over the road but because personnel and crews were onsite those were extinguished quite quickly.”

The Shetland Creek fire now classified as a complex with a second blaze reported to the north that the incident command team has taken charge of. While still listed as out of control, Hall confirmed a perimeter has been established around the 10 hectare Finney Creek fire.

On both fires weather conditions through the valley are increasing the challenge for crews on the ground.

“Having our resources onsite and being able to pivot and re-allocate resources to those spot fires when they do occur. These are particularly wind-driven and with wind in the valley we are seeing gusts up to 20-to-40 km/hr today,” said Hall. “Wind-driven fuel is for sure a challenge for us and looking at the potential for spot fires and being able to pivot our resources quickly and respond to those areas.”