UPDATE: Conditions favourable for another burn-off on White Rock Lake fire Wednesday

Plume of smoke from controlled burn on White Rock Lake wildfire's northeast flank Tuesday. (Photo credit: Twitter/teslainvernon)

Aug 24, 2021 | 1:48 PM Pete McIntyre

The BC Wildfire Service says conditions are looking good for going ahead with a controlled burn on the White Rock Lake fire starting at around noon today (Aug. 25).

About 200 hectares of fuel will be torched northwest of Fintry Park which will produce significant smoke visible from Vernon south to West Kelowna.

“Planned ignitions will be used to secure the fire perimeter burning north of Terrace Mountain, west towards the fire perimeter above Shorts Creek,” said the BCWS in its Wednesday fire update. “Given the forecasted winds out of the southeast, conditions on-site today are ideal and will allow aerial and ground resources to carry out these planned ignitions as early as 12 PDT.”

A 350 hectare ignition was successfully completed yesterday along the northeaster flank north of Newport Beach towards Irish Creek Road.

“These ignition operations are critical to achieve more significant containment in areas of the fire perimeter that are inoperable and unsafe for ground crews and heavy equipment to work. Planned ignition operations work by removing unburned fuels from a constructed guard line. This limits the amount of fuels that could otherwise result in high intensity growth of the fire under forecasted weather conditions,” explained the BCWS.

Information officer Hannah Swift from the Wildfire Service tells Vernon Matters they are hoping to go ahead with a 3,000 hectare ignition on the northeast flank once conditions allow for it (listen below).


Due to the controlled burn Tuesday, the White Rock Lake fire size is now estimated at 81,300 hectares, an increase of 350 ha. since Tuesday.

The fire is still active and classified as Out of Control.

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Holy smoke: burn-off begins on White Rock Lake fire site
Aug 24, 2021 | 1:48 PM

The BC Wildfire Service has started some pre-burns as part of preparations for the planned ignition process on the northeastern flank of the White Rock Lake wildfire west of Vernon.

“It is a planned ignition, but it’s not the large one that we have been messaging out, that is supposed to start tomorrow. It’s in the same area, but it’s just a small portion of that one,” said Shannon Street, information officer with the Wildfire Service.

Street said 150 to 200 hectares are being burned today, with up to 3,000 hectares in the main ignition which could start as early as Wednesday (Aug. 25).

The actual start of the main burn-off in the Westside Road area will depend on weather and site conditions, but it it will produce significant amounts of smoke visible from areas like Vernon, Armstrong, Spallumcheen, Glennema, and Falkland.

Plume of smoke from controlled burn-off on White Rock Lake wildfire on Tuesday (Twitter/Teresa Deak)

“It’s going to produce a lot of smoke for a couple of days, but it will mean less smoke further out. If we don’t do this burn, the fire would likely still burn through that area and would be putting out smoke for a lot longer period,” Street told Vernon Matters.

The ignitions are being conducted to gain more control on the fire.

Due to the planned ignitions, the Township of Spallumcheen is asking residents and visitors to avoid use of back country areas.

The White Rock Lake fire has grown by about 200 hectares since Monday, and is nearing 81,000 hectares.

“That’s obviously going to go up today, once this burn is complete,” Street remarked.

Street added the north, west and south flanks of the fire have been relatively calm this week, and crews have been making good progress in mop-up and patrols.

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