Wildfire still burning

UPDATED: 2:15 p.m.

The Dee Lake wildfire that sparked Monday is still actively burning at just over seven hectares in size.

At about 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon the Dee Lake Wilderness Resort Manager, Michelle Groshaw noticed smoke begin to billow into the sky.

"We were taking pictures of flames over trees," she said. But as of Tuesday morning, she says the smoke and flames are less obvious.

"From yesterday to today [there is] very little smoke.  "Yesterday it was approximately two kilometres, I think, give or take from us."

She says smoke is still lingering in the air near the resort.

Fire information officer, Marla Catherall says crews are still actively battling the blaze.

"The BC Wildfire Service is responding with 26 personnel and two helicopters today," she said.

The blaze sits at just over seven hectares in size, hardly growing since last night.

"It is 70 per cent machine guarded," Catherall said. "That means that a piece of heavy machinery has gone through and basically created a fuel-free, 70 per cent around the fire and just removing any fuels that could help spread the fire."

No one in the area is evacuated at this time and Dee Lake Wilderness Resort remains open to the public. 

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ORIGINAL: 11:30 a.m.

Dee Lake Wilderness Resort is one of the only structures near the wildfire burning near Dee Lake Road.

The fire sparked at about 3 p.m. on Monday between Coldstream and Lake Country and grew to approximately seven hectares in size.

"Last night when it was dark it was still flames," says Michelle Groshaw, manager, Dee Lake Resort. "We were taking pictures of flames over trees."

Michelle, her husband and their son were out exploring yesterday near the resort when they noticed smoke billowing up into the sky nearby.

Logging trucks frequent the area so her husband assumed it was just dust from falling trees. But they quickly realized that was not the case.

Groshaw says logging trucks were in the area at the time of the fire.

"This morning there is very little smoke from yesterday to today," she said. "Yesterday it was major, it was about two kilometres from us give or take."

The resort is not under an evacuation notice and campers are still staying on site.

"From what we can see it's not a fire anymore but there is still smoke lingering up there in the air."

Groshaw says she is thankful that fire crews soaked the blaze 'hard and fast.'

Twenty-eight firefighters, two helicopters, air tankers and one piece of heavy equipment battled the blaze.

Castanet will update the public with more information on the fire as soon as it becomes available.