No recent growth on July Mountain, Spius Creek, and Brenda Creek wildfires

The BC Wildfire Service is reporting zero growth on three of the fires surrounding the Merritt area.

The Spius Creek wildfire hasn’t reported growth in over a week and sits at seven hectares.

The July Mountain blaze saw an increase to 1,267 hectares last weekend following better mapping of the fire but hasn’t grown since.

“The fire did not see any growth on the north and east flanks, and bucketing support continues to support these areas,” reads the updated file. “The fire remains within one kilometer of Highway 5 (the Coquihalla) and extremely visible from Highway 5 but is not immediately threatening. The fire is and is currently moving parallel to the highway.”

Yesterday 30 firefighters along with three helicopters were on site.

The Brenda Creek fire also saw growth last week due to high winds but has been calm since remaining at 824 hectares.

“(Yesterday), crews were able to reinforce a guard line on the east flank with a planned hand ignition operation. This significantly reduced the risk of further growth to the east,” reads the file. “An increase in fire activity is still expected in the coming days as hot, dry and windy conditions will persist. No precipitation is anticipated in the near future. These conditions will continue to challenge fire suppression efforts.”

There is currently 247 active fires burning in British Columbia, 87 of which are within the Kamloops Fire Centre.