Alert issued for Pitt Lake fire
Fire on the east side of the Upper Pitt River, north of Pitt Lake.
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Updated: August 06, 2009 4:37 PM
An evacuation alert has been issued for residents at the north end of Pitt Lake.
There are about a half-dozen people living close to where a 100-hectare fire is burning. The fire is moving away from Pitt River Lodge, but is currently smouldering on a hill above a closed logging camp owned by Teal-Jones Group.
“At this stage, it’s more precautionary and it’s because of the remoteness of the area,” said Lynn Orstad, emergency program manager with the Fraser Valley Regional District. “Everyone who is up there does have a boat, so there are ways for them to get out quickly if the fire turns.”
The fire is 60 per cent contained and the B.C. Forest Service expects to have it fully under control by next week.
There are 32 firefighters currently working on the ground and three helicopters dropping water onto hot spots.
The steep, rocky terrain has made it difficult for ground crews to work, but cooler weather and low winds this week have helped slow the spread of the fire, said fire information officer Jerry Wearing.
“It’s a ground fire without any dramatic open flames. It’s putting up smoke and that’s about all,” he said. “But the weather does play an important role. The weather conditions have helped the last couple days, so crews have been working very hard to take advantage of that.”
The fire was caused by a lightening strike in early June, but wasn’t discovered until July 17.
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