Christie Mountain wildfire in Penticton grows to 2,000 hectares

The Christie Mountain wildfire continued to grow overnight and this morning after a subdued afternoon yesterday, wildfire officials say.

The fire is now estimated at 2,000 ha, up from 1,400 yesterday evening, Aug. 19.

The fire, which was discovered on Tuesday, has resulted in the evacuation of the community of Heritage Hills about six kilometres south of Penticton.

Close to 3,700 Penticton properties are also on evacuation alert.

B.C. Wildfire officials are concerned about predicted south winds of 20 to 40 km/h, gusting to 70 this afternoon.

The wildfire service currently has 84 firefighters and 10 helicopters working the blaze, with 20 additional firefighters expected this afternoon.

The fire was fairly quiet overnight, with activity rated as a smouldering ground fire. Crews made good progress overnight protecting property in the area.

Crews are hoping to access the north end of the fire today after making progress on the fire’s southwest flank yesterday, B.C. Wildfire said in a morning update on the fire.

The City of Penticton has also opened a call centre through the Emergency Operation Centre that residents can reach by calling 250-490-2345.

The call centre has been activated to aid in sharing of accurate and timely fire information.

"As the situation continues to be fluid and can change rapidly, residents with questions about the impact of the wildfire in Penticton can reach out to the call centre for help,” Penticton’s Communication Manager, Philip Cooper said.

Call centre hours may fluctuate outside regular business hours.

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