WILDFIRES – Firefighters reinforce control lines at East Shuswap Road fire
Firefighters will begin operations on the East Shuswap Road wildfire to burn any remaining unburned fuel between the control lines and the wildfire as safe conditions allow, the BC Wildfire Service reported today (July 13, 2018) at about 4:30 p.m.
Crews will also burn the fuels that have accumulated in the steep and inaccessible canyons of the fire zone.
“This is a commonly utilized fire suppression technique that will reinforce the control lines and to manage areas that may be unsafe for crews, due to steep slopes,” the wildfire service posted.
Smoke and flames will be visible from Kamloops, Highway 1, and the surrounding areas as a result of the suppression operation. One hundred and three ground personnel remain on site, along with helicopters and heavy machinery. Air tankers are available to respond as needed.
The fire was reported Thursday just after 11 a.m. and has grown to 500 acres. Though growth has slowed, it’s still classified as out of control. Strong winds have been coming up this afternoon.
The top of the fire on the north side is fully machine guarded. Cause of the fire is still unknown.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
They could have started bombing the hell out of it by 6.30 am today, all of the air equipment necessary to do this apparently is right here in Kamloops. There were only a few open hot spots and surely all threats could have been eliminated very quickly. Back burns to surppress an existing fire often can create more problems, especially if weather conditions change.
It’s 7 pm now, the weather has changed as forecasted, winds are up with the direction reversed to north by northwest, but no rain.
Looks like we could be in trouble, surely hope this is not the case.
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