Horsethief Creek fire west of Invermere reaches 70 hectares

A new wildfire discovered Monday afternoon west of Invermere is estimated at 70 hectares in size.

The Horsethief Creek fire is located in the Bruce Mountain about seven kilometres north of Panorama Mountain Resort and 10 kilometres west of Invermere.

The lightning-caused blaze is displaying aggressive behaviour and combined with strong gusty winds and mountainous terrain, the BC Wildfire Service has deemed it unsafe for ground crews to directly attack the fire at this time.

Wildfire personnel expect the fire to continue to be highly visible through Tuesday as strong winds are forecast to continue.

(Photo credit: BC Wildfire Service.)