A new fire in the Akolkolex area to the southeast of Revelstoke is generating smoke at high elevations above Revelstoke. It is one of over 10 new fires listed on Aug. 12 or Aug. 13 following a lightning storm on the afternoon of Aug. 12.
B.C. Wildfire Service lists the largest as the Akolkolex FSR fire as being located at the 25-kilometre area of the Akolkolex Forest Service Road. It’s start date is listed as Aug. 12, and it is estimated to be 4.2 hectares in size. The B.C. Wildfire Service lists the suspected cause as human-caused. Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services said in a social media statement that was the cause of the smoke of Mount Mackenzie.
As of the morning of Aug. 13, the smoke was at high elevation over Revelstoke, blowing to the northwest. There was little smoke in the city, but there was some smoke at high elevations at Revelstoke Mountain Resort and Mount Revelstoke national park. The smoke seemed to dissipate as the morning progressed.
Aug. 12 lightning strike at Revelstoke Mountain Resort extinguished
On the afternoon of Aug. 12, a lightning strike in the subalpine of Mount Mackenzie, home to Revelstoke Mountain Resort, caused a small fire and smoke which was visible from town.
In the evening of Aug. 12, helicopters could be seen circling over the area. The fire came from one small spot in the sub-alpine.
There’s smoke coming from a spot in the subalpine area of Mt. Mackenzie, home of Revelstoke Mountain Resort, after residents reported seeing a lightning strike late Friday afternoon. The storm brought multiple strikes but only light rain. A helicopter has been circling the area. pic.twitter.com/S2J397LAtF
— Revelstoke Mountaineer (@RevelstokeMTNR) August 13, 2022
Revelstoke Mountain Resort Vice President, Peter Nielsen, said the fire was quickly extinguished and praised the fire response. “The rapid response team was incredible. They showed up immediately within 15 minutes,” Nielsen said, adding the response team were able to get water onto the fire within 30 minutes and the resort considered it out within an hour.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort is open on Aug. 13 including lifts to high-elevation activities like mountain biking and hiking.
Grouping of 9 new fires in the Galena Bay and Halfway River area
The lightning storm that passed over the region around Revelstoke led to the listing of nine new fires in the Galena Bay and Halfway River area.
The small fires, most of which are listed as 0.01 hectares in size, were discovered by the fire service on Aug. 12 and 13. They are listed Mount St. Leon, Grady Lake, Mt. Steenhoff, Halcyon Mountain 1, Halcyon Mountain 2, Halcyon Mountain 3, Nacillewaet Creek, Payne Creek, and Marion Creek.