Progress is being made on the Lower Blueberry Creek wildfire by Seymour Arm.

As of noon on Friday, July 19 the fire burning above Dasnier's Bay remained at .8 hectares, having shown no overnight growth. The fire was one of about a dozen discovered Thursday, July 18, following an overnight lightning storm in the region.

In a Friday morning update, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District's Shuswap Emergency Program (SEP) said two BC Wildfire Service initial attack crews, four smoke jumpers (firefighters that parachute into fire areas) and a heavy helicopter were working the fire. A SEP structure protection unit remained in the area overnight with plans to demobilize later in the today based on BC Wildfire鈥檚 assessment of a reduced fire risk in the area.

SEP said a heavy helicopter is bucketing the four fires in the Seymour Arm area, the largest being a 1.5 hectare blaze south of Hunakwa Lake. 

"Additional helicopters and rappel crews may be brought in later today," reads the update. 

Among the other new wildfires, the Queest Mountain fire north of Malakwa was under control. The largest of the new fires at Mara Mountain, southeast of Sicamous, had grown from 5 to 19.2 hectares. SEP said it was burning in extremely steep terrain and was inaccessible for fire crews. This fire was about seven kilometres from any structure. 

There were 12 active wildfires in the Shuswap Emergency Program area Friday morning, most being very small, including some single-tree fires, said SEP. None are threatening populated areas.

"SEP is working with BC Wildfire on monitoring these smaller fires," reads the release. "For specific information and location of these fires, please see the BC Wildfire dashboard. SEP will update on these fires as needed."

For more information, visit . 

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone. Reports can also be made through the BC Wildfire mobile app and website.