Agassiz, Popkum and North Fraser firefighters have all been called to the scene of a reported wildfire on Mount Woodside on Tuesday (August 18). Fire crews are staged near Highlands Boulevard in Agassiz.
There are reports of a car on fire in the area.
As of July 31, the wildfire danger rating in Agassiz is “high,” meaning only campfires in approved fire permits with a valid burn permit are allowed at a maximum size of half a metre by half a metre. All larger fires are prohibited at this time, according to the Agassiz Fire Department.
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Witness Mike Duncan reported the fire when he saw black smoke billowing near Mount Woodside.
“The local fire departments arrived very quickly after I reported the fire and went to work,” Duncan said on a Facebook post. “Kudos to them.”
As of Tuesday morning, there are 475 that burned in 2020, 100 of which started in the last seven days. There are 79 active fires (64 in the past two days). This listing does not currently include the Agassiz wildfire as the situation is still developing.
The Sts’ailes Forest Service Road fire was the most recent wildfire in the area, no longer listed on B.C. Wildfire Service’s map of active fires three days before the Mount Woodside blaze started.
The Observer has reached out to B.C. Wildfire Services and the Agassiz Fire Department for further information.
For the latest updates on this and other breaking news, look online at www.agassizharrisonobserver.com.