Anxious night as Penticton’s Mount Christie wildfire grows to over 1,000 ha, spreads south

Emergency crews worked into the night as the community of Heritage Hills along the east side of Skaha Lake was evacuated due to the Mount Christie wildfire south of Penticton.

A part of southern Penticton was also subject to an evacuation alert, issued around 9:30 p.m. yesterday.

The wildfire, first reported around 2 p.m. yesterday, Aug.18, was last reported at 1,000 ha last night, but as night fell the fire’s continued spread was obvious.

Strong, gusty evening winds took the fire in several directions, most ominously to the south where it moved down the gulley it started in and burned into the top of the Heritage Hills subdivision last night before winds eased early this morning.

A smoke plume spilling thousands of metres into the sky stopped traffic on Highway 97 as darkness fell.

At dusk last night the fire was within a few hundred metres of the northernmost residences in the Heritage Hills subdivision. The fire's greatest advance appeared to be south, along the top of Heritage Hills.

B.C. Wildfire appeared to throw every available aircraft at the fire, engaging air tankers and amphibious aircraft until early evening when helicopters took their place.

The City of Penticton activated its emergency operations centre as a proactive measure in response to the fire around 8 p.m. yesterday evening.

The fire does not appear to have made  much advance to the north towards Penticton overnight.

It’s not known how the fire started. Skies were mostly clear in the area yesterday afternoon.

We invite our readers to share their photos of the fire by sending them to news@infonews.ca

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