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Bc Wildfire 2015

Fire risk closes Giant’s Head Mountain Park to vehicle traffic

SUMMERLAND - Because of the high risk of person-caused fires, Giant’s Head Mountain Park Road is closed to vehicle traffic. The closure is effective immediately due to dry vegetation along the roadside. The fire danger rating is currently high but is expected to reach extreme in the next couple of days. “We have moved to...

Coldstream Creek fire near Ashcroft mapped at 250 hectares

ASHCROFT - A lightning-caused wildfire between Ashcroft and Logan Lake has been mapped at 250 hectares while residents at 28 properties nearby are under evacuation alert. Kayla Pepper, a fire information officer with B.C. Wildfire, says the fire west of Coldstream Creek was estimated at 600 ha last night July 20 but once crews mapped the...

Preparing pets for fire evacuations

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With forest fires encroaching ever closer to homes around the province, the B.C. SPCA is encouraging animal owners to re-evaluate their emergency pet preparedness. Wildfires can quickly lead to evacuation orders and states of emergency, forcing people to leave their homes as quickly as possible. “When you’re ordered to evacuate, you need to...

UPDATE: Shelter Cove evacuations expanded as Westside Road wildfire grows

WEST KELOWNA - A growing fire on Westside Road has forced the evacuation of residences near Shelter Cove between La Casa and Lake Okanagan Resort. The fire is now estimated at 30 hectares and growing at Rank Four, a highly vigorous surface fire and torching trees, thanks to heavy winds in the area. CORD Emergency...

UPDATE: Evacuation order issued for aggressive wildfire near Falkland

FALKLAND - An aggressive wildfire in the Bolean Lake area of Falkland has prompted an evacuation order.  The blaze, which was reported to B.C. Wildfire about 2 p.m. Monday, July 20, quickly grew to an estimated 300 hectares in size up from four hectares earlier in the day. B.C. Wildfire reported Tuesday morning the blaze...

UPDATE: Coldstream Creek fire near Ashcroft grows, evacuation alert issued

ASHCROFT - B.C. Wildfire crews are battling an aggressive lightning-caused wildfire south of Ashcroft today and locals are now on evacuation alert.  The fire was called in around 1 p.m. this afternoon, July 20, and quickly grew to 120 hectares. By 6 p.m. the fire had grown to 600 ha.  Properties on North Road, Landon...

UPDATE: Bear Creek wildfire 75 per cent contained; evacuation alert still in place

WEST KELOWNA  – The 1.8-hectare wildfire burning in Bear Creek Provincial Park is now 75 per cent contained, but the last 25 per cent will be a challenge. B.C. Wildfire Management says six air tankers, three helicopters and 26 firefighters worked yesterday to keep the aggressive fire from spreading. “Crews remained on site overnight and...

Firefighters battling second blaze along Westside Road

WEST KELOWNA - Firefighters are on the scene of a second forest fire on the Westside, this one north of Lake Okanagan Resort and south of the La Casa residential community. There is no need to call 911 or fire dispatch on this matter. Residents along Westside Road near Bear Creek Provincial Park remain on...

UPDATE: Westside Road closed; evacution alert for Bear Creek fire

UPDATE: 8:32 p.m. July 19 RCMP have asked that boaters keep well clear of the area around Bear Creek Park to ensure B.C. Forest Service air tankers and helicopters can safely access water from Okanagan Lake. UPDATE: 7:06 p.m. July 19 Kelowna B.C.– Bear Creek Main at Westside Road and Bear Creek Road at Parkinson...

Crews battling wildfire in Bear Creek Park

WEST KELOWNA – Firefighters are responding to a grass fire in Bear Creek Provincial Park on Westside Road. The fire was first reported as small in size but has grown to 50-by-50 metres in size and is burning Rank 2 or 3 uphill, according to unconfirmed reports. The trail has the blaze guarded on three...

Grass fire sparked north of Vernon

SPALLUMCHEEN - Emergency crews weren’t taking any chances with a small grass fire just north of Vernon beside Highway 97. Fire information officer Kelsey Winter says B.C. Wildfire crews were on the ground alongside firefighters from the Armstrong Spallumcheen Fire Department in an area roughly 15 kilometres north of Vernon near Gurney Creek. The fire,...

Be fire safe, not sorry, when you use your tools and toys in the bush

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you plan on being a lumberjack or ripping around on your ATV in the bush this weekend, B.C. Wildfire Management is asking you to take into account the fire risk before firing up a chainsaw or starting up the quad. “If members of the public or industry personnel plan to do any...

Toss a butt out the window in Vernon and you could receive a fine

VERNON - Watch your butts, smokers. If you’re caught throwing a cigarette butt out the window, Vernon RCMP say you could face fines. It starts with $81 for depositing litter or an injurious item, and could go up another $173 for violating the Wildfire Act, RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says. “Especially when things are so...

Fire danger rating climbs back up despite rainfall

CAMPFIRE RESTRICTIONS STILL IN PLACE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fire danger ratings are back to a high rating for the majority of the province’s interior, with some pockets still rated as extreme. B.C. Wildfire information officer Kayla Pepper says a bit of rain lowered the rating to a low to moderate risk over the past week or...

In Kamloops, tossing a cigarette butt will cost you

KAMLOOPS - Fair warning, smokers: If you discard your cigarette out the window, expect a ticket. Kamloops RCMP Const. Jason Epp says police got about a dozen calls about people discarding their cigarettes. So far, four have already been ticketed; more are on the way. Rain over the weekend lowered the fire danger rating in the...

Smoking ban begins in all Kamloops parks and trails

KAMLOOPS – Due to extreme fire hazard conditions smoking is now prohibited in all city parks and trails effective immediately. The ban, under the authority of the Kamloops Fire Chief, comes as the fire risk reaches an extreme level throughout much of the region. The ban includes, but is not limited to, Kenna Cartwright Park,...

No, you can’t do that in B.C. right now

‘SOMEONE IN AN INTERFACE AREA WAS USING A BLOW TORCH TO GET RID OF THEIR WEEDS’ KELOWNA – This hot, dry summer makes beach days all the more necessary, but it has taken at least some of the fun out of other favourite Thompson-Okanagan pastimes. By now we should all know that, during fire season...

B.C. Wildfire crews find weed in the Okanagan wild

PENTICTON - A grow-op in the woods above Naramata was discovered by B.C. Wildfire crews who were called to the area to fight a small wildfire yesterday. RCMP Staff Sgt. Kurt Lozinski says members were called after firefighters tending a small wildfire made the discovery on Tuesday afternoon, July 7. The firefighters were in the...

B.C. firefighters getting help from Ontario

BRITISH COLUMBIA - Crews fighting the nearly 200 wildfires raging across the province will get some help from our neighbours out east. A total of 70 personnel from Ontario are arriving today, July 7, to help with fires in the Coastal and Southeast Fire Centres. Two amphibious skimming aircraft, a birddog and an air attack...

Smoky skies advisory issued for entire Thompson-Okanagan region

THOMPSON OKANAGAN – If the visible smoke in the sky wasn't enough to warn you, a smoky skies advisory has now been issued for a large portion of the Southern Interior. The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Interior Health Authority, has issued a smoky skies advisory for the Thompson, Shuswap, Nicola, Fraser Canyon,...

People ignoring campfire ban in Okanagan

‘THERE’S THE ODD FEW THAT DON’T THINK THE BAN APPLIES TO THEM’ VERNON - Fire officials in Vernon are surprised some people are still not getting the message about the importance of campfire bans. Twice Monday night, the Vernon Fire Department was called to illegal campfires in peoples’ backyards, deputy fire chief Lawrie Skolrood says....