Across the Kootenay Valley from us, about 10 miles away as the crow flies, at about 5,000 feet above our elevation, is a fire in the Selkirk Mountains that has the potential to be record breaking. This fire will be national news before too long. It started about three days ago when a large lightening storm came through our region. The first small signs of smoke were visible two days ago, and now the spread, aided by hot dry weather and plenty of fuel in the forest, is accelerating.
Since it is in the national forest and doesn't threaten private property, the position of the Forest Service is to keep an eye on it, but take no action.
With temperatures forecast to be in the 90's for the next seven days, and no rain expected at all, this fire will be huge. We'll see how far it goes, but barring any unforseen rain events, it is likely the smoke will force us out a little early this year. The fire has to travel down the mountains, jump the Kootenay River and make it across the Valley farmlands before reaching us. Since we are due East of it, we should be fine (famous last woeds). Prevailing winds are usually from the South this time of year, but have shifted today and are from the North, and are likely to stay that way for at least a week.
The flare ups visible to the naked eye from our place are several hundred feet high. The only way to fight this will be from the air, and it will soon be too big for that.
