Smoke can be seen from Christie Mountain wildfire thanks to weather conditions

B.C. Wildfire Service crews continue to douse hotspots as work on the Christie Mountain wildfire continues to wind down.

The wildfire service reports today, Sept. 3, there are 107 firefighters working the blaze, along with six helicopters.

Fire information officer Forrest Tower says a weather inversion left a bit more smoke than usual lingering over the fire today, but there has been no increase in fire activity over the past few days and no increase in the size of the fire.

“Fire activity is really minimal, we’re really into mop up stage and establishing a 100-foot perimeter in places where needed,” Tower says.

Even with higher than normal temperatures anticipated over the next few days, Tower says no major changes in fire activity is anticipated.

In the next few days, parts of the fire on the western side will be scanned to identify any remaining hotspots while firefighters continue to patrol the perimeter around Christie Mountain Lane and Apple Court to Matheson Drive in the Heritage Hills area.

Crews in the southeast corner of the fire are creating a 100-foot mop-up from the perimeter of the fire inwards and rappel crews are identifying individual hotspots and putting them out.

The 2,155 hectare fire is believed to have been started by lightning on Aug. 18. An evacuation order for Heritage Hills and several alerts for parts of Penticton were issued but all have since been lifted.

An area restriction order that includes Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park and surrounding area remains in place.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to tips@infonews.ca and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.