Boaters on Mara Lake are being urged to keep their distance from firefighting efforts related to the Mara Mountain blaze. 

As of Wednesday morning, July 31, the wildfire located southeast of Sicamous remained at 290 hectares. The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) continued to report the fire posed no threat to Sicamous or Swansea Point. 

"The Mara Mountain wildfire is currently burning in an area that is surrounded by either alpine or burn scars from past wildfires," explained the BCWS in a Tuesday, July 30 update. "When a wildfire has previously burnt in an area, there is likely going to be less fuel available for a future wildfire to consume, effectively acting as a fire break for future fires and could aid in slowing or stopping them."

In a late-Tuesday afternoon update, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) said the BCWS had assigned 15 personnel to work the wildfire, with a crew on site establishing safe access routes and assessing where heavy equipment could be brought in.

BCWS said it was working to create safe road access to the fire by reinstalling a temporary bridge at one end of the Ashton Mara East forest service road. 

Bucket helicopters were also being used, drawing water from Mara Lake. 

"Boaters are reminded to stay away from the area," said the CSRD. "Please be safe and respectful of the firefighting operation and allow the pilots to work without interference."

However, BCWS noted bucketing, or dropping retardant, alone is rarely enough to extinguish a wildfire, and that aviation resources and ground crews work together to suppress wildfires.