Wildfire at Galena Bay grows to 200 hectares
The Galena Bay fire located 3 kilometres southeast of the Galena Bay ferry landing has grown to about 200 hectares since it was sparked by a lightning strike on Monday.
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Updated: July 30, 2009 11:46 AM
A spot fire caused by lightning in Galena Bay on Monday, July 27, has grown dramatically due to strong winds and is now estimated at 200 hectares in size. It is located about three kilometres southeast of the Galena Bay ferry landing.
Gwen Eamer, fire information officer for the Southeast Fire Centre, says the fire is located on a steep face which can not be safely accessed.
There are 16 firefighters, two helicopters and many pieces of heavy equipment machines working to contain the blaze.
She says crews are working along the bottom of the slope to extinguish ambers and debris to prevent the spread of the fire while helicopters pour buckets of water at the top of the ridge.
In the Arrow Zone of the Southeast Fire Centre, Eamer says 44 lightning-caused fires were sparked since last Thursday with 35 already having been contained or extinguished. She adds in the whole area of the fire centre, it's estimated there have been 20 new fires caused per day since Thursday from lightning.
Eamer says an ongoing lightning storm has caused nearly 130 new wildfires across the Southeast Fire Centre in the past week.
Drive BC advises that there is limited visibility on Highway 23 in the area around the fire due to smoke from the fire. The highway remains open.
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