With a heat warning blanketing large swaths of B.C.’s Southern Interior, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District says Friday’s weather could also feature dry lightning.
Environment Canada is predicting sunny skies and temperatures between 30 C and 34 C for the Shuswap for the next week.
For Friday, though, there’s a risk of thunderstorms for the region in the afternoon and evening.
“The cooler, wetter weather pattern has now shifted back to hot and dry conditions, including the possibility for dry lightning in the Shuswap over the coming days,” said the regional district.
“This could result in new fires starting in the area.”
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The CSRD says residents should be prepared for possible evacuation alerts or orders if a wildfire starts burning in their area.
“Have grab-and-go bags ready and make an emergency plan for people and pets,” said the regional district.
In other news, the Mara Mountain blaze was sized at 290 hectares as of Thursday, the same size it was listed at on Saturday.
However, the lightning-caused fire is still deemed to be out of control as it burns roughly six km southeast of Sicamous.
And because it’s still burning, the CSRD is asking boaters to stay clear of helicopters that are bucketing water from the Two Mile and Swansea Point areas of Mara Lake.
Fire growth is said to be minimal, with 21 firefighters on scene.
“Recreational boaters are making their job more difficult by boating where helicopters are filling their buckets in Mara Lake. We are asking all boaters to stay away from this area,” said the regional district.
“If boaters see active helicopter traffic, please move along. Mara and Shuswap lakes are very large, so there’s plenty of space to boat safely without disrupting firefighting efforts.”
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