Area Restriction Order issued around Shetland Creek Wildfire: BCWS

The BC Wildfire Service implemented an Area Restriction Order within the vicinity of the Shetland Creek Wildfire on Tuesday.

All provincial parks, recreation areas, and forest service sites in the region around the fire are closed.

BCWS says this area restriction “reflects the need to protect both public and responder safety in areas where fire suppression activities are taking place.”

Fire Information Officer for the Shetland Creek wildfire Alan McCartney says the growth of the fire has slowed since the region has gotten some rain.

“We’ve had cooler, more humid conditions and we’ve had less wind, so that’s slowed the growth of the fire,” he said.

McCartney tells 1130 NewsRadio that crews have been able to get 17 helicopters in the air on Tuesday, bucketing the fire with water. He says heavy equipment and crews have been deployed on the ground too.

“There are ongoing plans for the fire, and most of it is about…strengthening containment lines and building those guards for where we might get fire activity,” McCartney said.

McCartney says all their strategies at the moment are in preparation for this coming weekend where higher temperatures, more wind and less humidity are expected.

Under the order, “A person must not remain in or enter the restricted area unless the person is:

1. Travelling as a person acting in an official capacity;
2. Travelling for the purpose of supporting wildfire suppression activities;
3. Travelling to or from his or her principal residence, that is not under an evacuation order;
4. Travelling to or from his or her private or leased property for the purposes of accessing his or her secondary residence or recreational property, that is not under an evacuation order;
5. Using a highway as defined in the Highway Act; or
6. Engaging and/or participating in agricultural activities pertaining to livestock or agriculture management on Crown Range, Crown Grazing Lease, private or leased property.”

According to BCWS, the Shetland Creek wildfire is burning “out-of-control” at a size of 24,063 hectares as of Tuesday afternoon.

It was first discovered on Friday, July 12 and the suspected cause is lightning. This fire has had five evacuation alerts and four evacuation orders issued since July 17.