iN VIDEO: Overnight vehicle fire sparks wildfire between Osoyoos and Keremeos

Highway 3 between Osoyoos and Keremeos is open to single-lane alternating traffic after a vehicle fire in the middle of the night turned into a wildfire.

The road was closed in both directions earlier in the morning. 

The Oliver Fire Department described the fire as large in a Facebook post, adding firefighters from Osoyoos, Keremeos and Princeton have responded to the fire.

Drive B.C. says the incident occurred between Chopaka Road and Nighthawk Road, and 6.6 kilometres of highway is affected.

B.C. Wildfire reported the fire to be 40 hectares is size and classified it as out of control. It is located 17 kilometres west of Osoyoos. B.C. Wildfire has assigned 33 personnel to the job. 

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has put residents in the Sumac Road area along Highway 3 under evacuation alert as a result of the fire. 

%%Video1%%

 – This story was updated at 11:08 a.m. Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, with new information. 

To contact a reporter for this story, email Dan Walton or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom 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.