Residents in Grand Forks awoke on Sept. 10 to smoky skies from the wildfires burning in Washington and the Okanagan region.
Karlie Shaughnessy, fire information officer for the Wildfire Management Branch at the Southeast Fire Centre, noted that residents in Grand Forks don’t need to worry about the fires.
“It’s just the smoke coming up from the fires,” she explained. “The only thing residents will be effected by is the smoke and if they are having any difficulties with the smoke, they should seek the advice of medical professionals.”
The fires in Washington are roughly 140 kilometres southwest of Grand Forks, while the wildfire in the Okanagan region is more than 230 kilometres northwest of the city.
The Okanagan wildfire that started on Sept. 9 near Peachland has destroyed several homes and buildings, and has forced over 1,000 residents to evacuate.
“The smoke from the fires is expected to continue settling in the southern portions of the west and east Kootenays, as well as in the Boundary region,” she said.
Shaughnessy added that there are currently no fires in the Southeast Fire Centre that are any threat to the Boundary communities.
“There is still a fire danger rating for the Boundary area, though most of the fire ratings are moderate to low danger rating, with some areas still labeled as high,” she concluded. “People still need to make precautions when outdoors.”
Open burning and fireworks are still prohibited during this time.
For more information, visit bcwildfile.ca or follow the latest B.C. wildfire news on Facebook or Twitter.