UPDATE: 1:30 p.m., July 17, 2025
Two fires sparked by Wednesday's thunderstorm are now being held.
Lightning during the July 16 storm ignited four spot-sized blazes in the region: the 500m West Hudson Creek wildfire north of Anglemont, the Loftus Creek fire northwest of Malakwa, and two in the Yard Creek area.
As of 12:46 p.m. on Thursday, July 17, the Loftus Creek fire was being held, as was the northmost wildfire at Yard Creek.
The BC Wildfire Service said an initial attack crew was responding to the second Yard Creek fire, while another initial attack crew was dousing hot spots at the Anglemont area fire, where lightning had struck a tree.
Original story
There are now four active wildfires in the Columbia Shuswap.
That was the count as of 7:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, July 17, after a thunderstorm rolled through the region the evening prior.
One of the out-of-control blazes, identified by the BC Wildfire Service as 500m West Hudson Creek, was located north of Anglemont. A second fire, Loftus Creek, was sparked northwest of Malakwa. Two more fires ignited southeast of Malakwa including Yard Creek 1 and Yard Creek 2.
Each of the fires were spot sized (less than .01 hectare).
The Observer will provide more information as it becomes available.