FIRE UPDATE LATE AUGUST 20, 2007

Sorry I didn't get this to you last night, but it wasn't prepared for release to the public till about 10:30 p.m.

Dan and I wondered how their day was going because it was EXTREMELY windy here and the wind was very eratic. At one point, late afternoon, we heard sirens and a lot of trucks going south past us and it sounded like they all turned up CR 407...and the following explains what that was all about.

Firefighters are now in the 18th day of their battle with the Sleeper Lake Fire and it has not yet been laid to rest. Late today high winds and drought conditions caused multiple spot fires between County Road 407 and the western containment line. Firefighters will work late into the evening to contain these spot fires.

County Road 407 has been closed between M123 and Pine Stump Junction. County Road 407 has been evacuated between Dawson Creek and Halfway Lake. The power was turned off temporarily but has been restored.

Firefighters continue to control and mop up the Diverted Flight fire that was spotted yesterday near Hulbert in Chippewa County. That fire is estimated at 14.9 acres.

The fire is still estimated at 67% containment and the acreage is still at 18,020 acres. Hopefully there will be more info later this a.m.