Kamloops

Intense storm dropped record rain at rapid rate

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Several rainfall records were broken Wednesday but a local meteorologist says it is the rate of the rainfall that is the big story. “A record rain doesn’t really tell the story, the real story is the speed which it came out of the clouds,” Doug Lundquist of Environment Canada says. “You can have...

Murray Lake evacuation rescinded

KAMLOOPS - An evacuation notice for 35 properties at Murray Lake will be lifted at noon Thursday as the fire risk continues to decrease in the area. The 340 hectare Maka-Murray fire, south of Merritt and west of the Coquihalla Highway, is now 45 per cent contained and some heavy equipment has been pulled from...

UPDATE: Severe thunderstorm warnings end

UPDATE: A severe thunderstorm warning reissued for the Okanagan Valley has now ended. Twice today, Environment Canada has warned the storms could produce strong wind gusts, dime to nickel sized hail and heavy rain. All weather warnings have now ended for the South Thompson, Nicola, Shuswap and North Thompson regions that were under warnings earlier...

PHOTOS AND VIDEO: Parts of city flooded after storm rolls through Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - The skies opened up over the city of Kamloops during a brief intense storm creating flooding across the city this afternoon. Kamloops RCMP asked the public to avoid Overlanders Bridge for about an hour because run-off at the south end caused flooding that dumped debris across the road. Officers and city crews closed...

Campfire ban lifted in Clearwater area

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you want to have a fire while camping this weekend you may be fighting off the masses heading north to the Clearwater region thanks to the campfire ban being rescinded as of noon Wednesday for that fire zone. B.C. Wildfire is now allowing campfires in the area thanks to rain reducing the...

No charges laid after man was run over in parking lot

KAMLOOPS - A father accused of running over his son in the Royal Inland Hospital parking lot will not face a judge. “The file was concluded without any charges,” said Cpl. Cheryl Bush, a spokesperson for the RCMP. Last week, officers heard the father was bringing his son to the hospital when an argument broke out...

Crews slowly containing Murray Lake fire

KAMLOOPS - A 340 hectare fire burning south of Merritt just off the Coquihalla Highway is now 40 per cent contained and crews continue to build on the guards already in place. Crews continue to make progress on the fire, which was just 30 per cent contained Monday, and today more than 100 crew members...

Power back on at Botanie Creek, fire now 25% contained

KAMLOOPS - Power is back on to the 45 properties affected by the Botanie Creek fire north of Lytton while more than 170 firefighters remain on the scene fighting the wildfire that is still 75 per cent uncontrolled today. B.C. Wildfire Fire Information Officer Melissa Klassen says the fire, which was discovered last Tuesday, remains...

UPDATE: Heavy rains, thunderstorms in forecast

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - As much as 50 millimetres of rain could fall over the next two days as a low pressure system moving through southern B.C. is set to produce heavy showers and thunderstorms. Environment Canada issued a special weather statement this morning noting the potential for locally heavy rainfall of 25-50 mm with thunderstorms, which...

UPDATE: Missing ATV riders located

KAMLOOPS - Five members of Kamloops Search and Rescue were on their way to search for two missing ATV riders in the Campbell Creek Road area south of the city today but were quickly stood down when it was realized the riders simply decided to stay out for the night without telling anyone. Search Manager...

Gaining ground on aggressive Lytton fire

KAMLOOPS - Crews were successful in gaining ground on the Botanie Creek fire Monday and now believe the nearly 1,400 hectare fire is 15 per cent contained. “The objectives for today are for ground crews and equipment to continue to reinforce fire guards,” Fire Information Officer Melissa Klassen says. Klassen says no further structures have been...

Thompson-Okanagan drownings could have been prevented

THOMPSON OKANAGAN - A 14-year-old boy who died in a tubing accident in Vernon is one of 42 people across the province, and seven in the Thompson-Okanagan alone, whose lives were claimed in preventable drowning or water-related incidents over the past six and a half months.  Miles Wohlford, 14, fell off his tube during an afternoon...

Giant market to shut down Victoria

KAMLOOPS - A number of events happening under the umbrella of the annual Downtown Merchants Market means you can expect to face some road closures this week. Aside from the access to and from 1 Avenue being closed at Victoria Street (stores and parking are still open) a ‘Car Free Day’ will shut down the...

John Tod Centre set for fall opening

KAMLOOPS - Drywall, nails and two-by-fours litter the space as workers buzz around painting or installing new doors and windows in the future home of a new North Shore community centre. Members of the local Elks Lodge, KGHM and Interior Savings Credit Union were on hand for a tour Monday after donating a combined total...

Kamloops man gets six months in jail for killing pedestrian

KAMLOOPS – A Kamloops man was handed a jail sentence today for hitting and killing a pedestrian while driving without a licence. Donald Charles Isadore, born 1950, showed little reaction in Kamloops Provincial Court when Judge Stella Frame told him he would be serving jail time for his repeated instances of unlicenced driving. He never...

Accident reducing traffic in Valleyview to single-lane

KAMLOOPS - RCMP are attending a single vehicle accident in Valleyview. Eastbound traffic will be reduced to single lane traffic for the next 20 to 30 minutes at Grand Boulevard.  Four occupants were involved in the accident. Two have minor injuries and were transported to Royal Inland Hospital. The cause of the accident remains unknown....

Crews continue to battle Murray Lake fire

KAMLOOPS - Crews continue to establish a guard around the perimeter of a 340 hectare fire just west of the Coquihalla Highway today, a week after the fire was first discovered. In total 70 crew members are on site south of Merritt, along with nine pieces of heavy equipment and five helicopters working to establish...

One house lost as crews work to contain Botanie Creek fire

KAMLOOPS - Firefighters were able to contain a small area of the wildfire north of Lytton this weekend, but not before a house was consumed by the uncontrolled blaze. “There are two properties affected,” B.C. Wildfire Fire Information Officer Melissa Klassen says. “Unfortunately one was a house. It’s devastating. The resident has been notified by...

Kamloops SPCA overrun with cats

KAMLOOPS - If you’ve been thinking about adding a furry family member to your clan, now is the time. There are about 35 cats (older than six months) and one rabbit currently in care at the Kamloops SPCA branch and for the next week the shelter is offering adoptions of adults cats and all rabbits...

Cooler, wet forecast could help Thompson-Okanagan fire crews

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A little help is in the forecast for fire crews this week as Mother Nature dials down the temperatures and throws in a little rain. While temperatures will be near normal (26-29 Celsius) across the region for the next two days we can also expect to see rain today with a 40 per...

UPDATE: Wildfire near Lytton continues to roar out of control

THOMPSON-NICOLA - The ‘highly aggressive’ Botanie Road wildfire continues to threaten people's homes. The local regional district declared a state of emergency on Thursday and issued an evacuation order because of the immediate threat of the fire. About 150 people are out of their homes. The Botanie Road fire is 1.5 square kilometres in size...

Regional district focusing on water conservation

THOMPSON-NICOLA - Mapping of water and sewer systems will not only provide two people with jobs in the regional district, it will also help to develop a water conservation strategy. The Thompson Nicola Regional District is partnering with the provincial government to map 12 rural communities, while providing two people with a full year of...

Support for firefighters heats up on social media

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Firefighters have been working hard to battle blazes across the province. Many residents have taken the time to thank the B.C. Forest Service and municipal fire crews for fighting day and night.  Below are some helpful lines of support and thank you's from the public.  Did you know? B.C. Wildfire has a specific...

Date set for Snelson retrial

KAMLOOPS – After several delays and a successful bail, a date has been set for Neil George Snelson’s re-trial. Snelson, 47, was already tried and convicted of manslaughter in the death of Jennifer Cusworth in 2011. He appealed his conviction and won a second trial set to take place in Kamloops Supreme Court next year....