BC Wildfire Service issues area restriction for the Bill Nye Mountain fire

UPDATE: 5:50 p.m.

BC Wildfire Service has implemented an Area Restriction Order for the vicinity of the Bill Nye Mountain wildfire on Saturday evening.

This area restriction was put in place with the continued need to protect the public in areas where ongoing fire suppression activities are taking place.

This order is currently in effect and will remain in effect until 12 p.m. on Sept. 15, 2021, or until rescinded. The area where the order applies can be seen in the map below or online here.

It means "a person must not remain in or enter the restricted area without the prior written authorization of an official designated for the purposes of the Wildfire Act."

Exceptions include a person enters the area only in the course of:

• travelling to or from his or her principal residence that is not under an evacuation order;
• using a highway as defined in the Transportation Act;
• travelling as a person acting in an official capacity as defined in s.56 of the
• Wildfire Act; or
• travelling for the purpose of supporting wildfire suppression or enforcement patrol activities.
• Failure to comply with restricted area requirements may result in a violation ticket of $1,150.

Road closures and area restrictions are subject to change depending on fire activity. For ongoing updates, visit the bans and restrictions section of the BC Wildfire website for the Southeast Fire Centre online here.

The Southeast Fire Centre extends from the U.S. border in the south to Mica Dam in the north, and from the Okanagan Highlands and Monashee Mountains in the west, to the B.C.-Alberta border in the east.

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ORIGINAL: 2:09 p.m.

The BC Wildfire Service is going to be fighting fire with fire.

The BCWS will undertake a planned ignition on the Bill Nye Mountain fire to reduce forest fuel ahead of the fire to reduce the fire behaviour and support crew efforts to bring the Bill Nye Mountain fire under control.

The fire is approximately 19 kilometres northeast of Cranbrook. Smoke may be visible from Cranbrook, Kimberley and to motorists travelling along Highway 95.

The fire is burning out of control at 1,107 hectares.

Efforts to construct a guard along the west flank of the fire are progressing well. Ground crews continue to prepare control lines along the base of the slope and up the slopes as far as possible due to steep, unstable terrain. Water delivery systems are being installed in advance of a planned ignition

The exact timing of the burn will depend on weather and site conditions, but it could begin as early as Sunday July 25.

Burning will proceed only if conditions are suitable to control the fire while achieving the goal of removing sufficient fuels to slow the fire’s growth and limit its spread.

Planned ignitions are undertaken by trained and experienced personnel to remove the majority of available fuel ahead of the wildfire so there’s less fuel available for the wildfire to burn.

The BCWS has implemented safety protocols and strategies while conducting its operations to minimize the risk of the planed ignition growing beyond the intended area.

Given the aggressive behaviour that's been seen on many wildfires, there is a potential for escaped fires, but that potential would also exist if the BCWS did not conduct these planned ignitions.