The BC Wildfire Service says a series of fires in Wells Gray Provincial Park, north of Clearwater, are considered to be under control.

That includes the Kostel Cone fire, which has burned an estimated 183 square kilometres of land over the past two months.

Fire Information Officer Shaelee Stearns says that lightning-caused fire will not grow any further, because of suppression efforts and the fire management plans.

“Basically the only update on there is we continue to work with BC Parks to monitor those fires,” Stearns said. “Over the weekend, just with the increased temperatures that we are expecting and the lower relative humidity there is potential to see some more increased fire activity than what we have been seeing so.”

“It likely just means that portion of unburnt fuel within the fire perimeter might still be susceptible to ignition.”

Stearns says that might mean more smoke in the vicinity of these fires, as well as others in the Kamloops Fire Centre, including the Ross Moore Lake fire, south of Kamloops, and the Bush Creek East fire in the Shuswap.

“It is definitely something that we’ll continue to watch. We can see the drought codes that have been persistent all summer,” Stearns added.

“With the rise in temperatures and drop in humidity, we can see those conditions start to bounce back and be more susceptible to ignition but we are getting better recoveries overnight with those cooler temperatures which play a huge role in the impact on the fuel and fire behaviour throughout the day as well.”

The Kostel Cone fire and the nearly Pillpill Range Fire – which is now estimated to be 23 square kilometres in size – were both discovered on July 9.

“Due to reduced fire activity and risk to the public, a large portion of the West Arm of Murtle Lake is again open for public use,” BC Parks said, in an update on Aug. 1. “Campsites #7 (Kostal) and #8 (File Creek), along with the File Creek portage trail and Anderson Lake trail will remain closed due to public safety risks.”

“Kostal Lake fire complex is still active, and conditions may change at any time. BC Parks and BC Wildfire are continuing to monitor the situation and will provide updates as required.”

The Ovis Creek fire is estimated to be around 11.5 hectares in size, while the Ovis Falls fire is an estimated 18 hectares. Both of these fires are located north of Azure Lake.

The 13 square kilometre Murtle Lake Fire, which forced the closure of the Murtle Lake area for a week in June, has been declared extinguished as of Thursday, Sept. 7.

For the latest advisories in Wells Gray Provincial Park, go here.