For release: May 4, 2015
Release No: OR130-FY2015-11
Contact: Suzanne Endsley (208) 769-5004
Firefighters Continue to Monitor Wildfire near Canadian Border
Tonasket, WA – Wildfire season has arrived early this year as firefighters from the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) Spokane District are working together with Washington DNR and
British Columbia Fire to monitor and actively manage a small wildfire along the United StatesCanadian border.
The Incident #63 Fire, which was previously referred to as “Action 64”, started in late-April,
burning approximately 260 acres in Canada. It has slowly moved over to the US side of the
border and is currently burning on 10 acres of BLM-managed lands located in the Chopaka
Wilderness Study Area (WSA). The fire is located in very rugged, remote and inaccessible terrain
which makes it difficult for firefighters to access. Firefighters are continuously monitoring the
fire and developing options for safe operational engagement.
May is Wildfire Awareness Month and this early season wildfire is a reminder to us all to consider
actions we can take to prevent wildfires or be better prepared when they occur. The Fire Adapted
Communities website is just one of many resources available with helpful tips:
http://www.fireadapted.org
Information about the incident, including an interactive map, is online at www.bcwildfire.ca.
Additional updates regarding Incident #63 will also be posted on the Spokane District webpage at:
http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/index.php.
-BLMThe BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System
of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface
mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present
and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2014, the BLM generated $5.2 billion in
receipts from public lands.