Update May 3, 2022 - 14:00 Hours
There has been no substantial growth of the Horseshoe Bay fire boundaries, which remain at 18.5 hectares.
BC Wildfire is no longer classifying the fire as out of control and instead has moved the status to being held. Complete containment of the fire is expected in the next 24-hours.
It is not a threat to any structures or the community.
BC Wildfire crews, with the addition of 20 more personnel, remain on scene conducting mop-up operations. This will likely take a few more days to complete due to the steep slopes and rough terrain in the area. Helicopters are providing support to move equipment in the heavily forrested terrain.
The Anglemont volunteer Fire Department, which has been providing support to the BC Wildfire Crews, has been stood down from service.
The fire is suspected to have been human-caused.
In the coming days, additional information on this fire can be found through the BC Wildfire Service.
Update April 30: 8:00 Hours
BC Wildfire is reporting that work on extinguishing the Horseshoe Bay fire will continue throughout the weekend.
The fire is currently pegged at 15.7 hectares and is classified as out of control.
There are 20 BC Wildfire crew members working on the fire, and their efforts are supplemented with helicopters bucketing water.
Members of the Anglemont Fire Department are assisting with water shuttling for the ground crews.
Cooler overnight temperatures continue to assist with the firefighting effort. No structures are threatened by the fire at this time.
Update April 29: 09:00 Hours
A wildfire near St. Ives continues to burn this morning, but grew very little in size overnight.
A BC Wildfire crew was on scene through the night and saw little to no growth on the east and west sides of the fire, with possibly some small increases upslope to the north.
There are no risks to any structures in the area at this time.
The fire displayed Rank 1 and 2 behaviors, which is the lowest rankings for a smoldering ground and surface fire. There were some occasional flare ups that were visible from Squilax-Anglemont Road.
The CSRD and Shuswap Emergency Program are in close contact with the BC Wildfire Service. North Shuswap Fire departments in Anglemont, Celista and Scotch Creek/Lee Creek are on standby as needed.
BC Wildfire is investigating the cause of the wildfire.
Original Post: April 28, 2022 - 20:30 Hours
Three North Shuswap Fire Departments, along with a BC Wildfire crew and a helicopter, are currently working to extinguish a blaze in the Horseshoe Bay area near St. Ives.
The cause of the fire is unconfirmed. The blaze is burning upslope in a heavily forested area and is not currently moving towards any structures.
There is one home in the vicinity, however it is not currently being threatened by the blaze. Local firefighters with the Scotch Creek, Anglemont and Celista Fire Departments are monitoring this situation closely.
It is likely the blaze will continue burning through the night and will continue to need action by firefighters in the coming days to fully extinguish the blaze.
Cool night temperatures and higher moisture levels in the evening will help to dampen the fire overnight.
The Shuswap Emergency Program will update information to its website, www.csrd.bc.ca and www.shuswapemergency.ca and social media platforms as needed. This will be the only update of the evening, unless the situation increases in severity.
Residents in the vicinity are encouraged to subscribe to Alertable, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District’s emergency notification system in case of any alerts or emergency information. Sign up at www.csrd.bc.ca/alertable.
Photo: Images of the fire near St. Ives displayed courtesy of the North Shuswap Kicker.
