Testalinden Creek Fire

Commemorative shirts to remember 2015 wildfire season in South Okanagan
PENTICTON – A new fundraising effort will help remember the 2015 wildfire season in the…

Controlled burns planned near Oliver
OLIVER – Expect to see an increase in smoke if you are in the South…

Wildfire evacuation alert lifted near Oliver
OLIVER – The evacuation alert sparked by the Testalinden Creek fire burning near Oliver has…

Progress made on stubborn wildfire near Oliver
OLIVER – The Testalinden Creek fire burning west of Oliver is now 80 per cent…

Evacuation order rescinded for properties affected by Testalinden Creek fire
PENTICTON – An evacuation order for 27 properties near the Testalinden Creek wildfire has been…

Testalinden Creek fire holding for now; gusty winds a concern
OLIVER – Fire crews are holding the huge wildfire burning in the South Okanagan but…

Wildfire air operations in Oliver area halted by drone
OLIVER – Helicopters and an air tanker fighting the Testalinden Creek fire near Oliver were…

Evacuation alert expanded for Testalinden Creek wildfire
PENTICTON - A forecast for increased wind has resulted in an expansion of the evacuation alert for the Testalinden Creek wildfire. The Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen issued the evacuation alert expansion late in the day yesterday, August 27. The notice applies to properties north of the Testalinden Creek fire area, along Tinhorn Creek, Old Golf Course...

Fire crews anxiously watch weather at Testalinden Creek
PENTICTON - B.C. Wildfire firefighters expect to spend an anxious day on the front lines in the battle against the Testalinden Creek wildfire with strong wind in the forecast. Fire information officer Heather Rice says the wind is expected to pick up from the south around noon today, Aug. 28, which could be detrimental to...

Oliver and area residents could see increase in smoke as winds pick up
PENTICTON - Cooler, wetter weather slowed the Testalinden Creek fire on the weekend, but strong winds could give the blaze some renewed vigour this afternoon. B.C. Wildfire spokesperson Heather Rice says the calmer, cooler conditions over the weekend and this morning, Aug. 31, have decreased fire activity. Rice says while the fire has not grown...

UPDATE: Evacuation order expands near Testalinden Creek wildfire
PENTICTON - The evacuation order issued earlier this afternoon for residents near the Testalinden Creek wildfire has been expanded to include recreational areas and Crown land. The recreational areas around Burnell (Sawmill) Lake, Ripley Lake and Madden Lake, to the west of Oliver have been placed within the expanded evacuation order today, Aug. 28. As...

The danger of drones in wildfire zones
PENTICTON - One of the members of the B.C. Wildfire aircrew who spotted the drone flying over the Testalinden Creek fire near Oliver Sunday says it was pure luck they saw the unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV. The errant drone prompted an immediate grounding of eight helicopters and five planes, and as a result, the...

UPDATE: Crews battling two wildfires near Oliver
PENTICTON – The fight continues today to get a handle on the pair of wildfires burning near Oliver, which have forced hundreds out of their homes and destroyed a house. The wildfires broke out yesterday, Aug. 14, and grew quickly thanks to high winds pushing the flames through grass, sage and open timber, forcing the...

B.C. Wildfire reporting progress on Oliver wildfires
OLIVER, B.C. – The wildfires burning in the heart of the Okanagan’s wine country continue to threaten prized vineyards and orchards with scores of residents still out of their homes, but B.C. Wildfire says there has been significant progress in the fight against the blazes. Two fires are raging near the picturesque tourist town of...

Uneasy calm in Oliver after frantic night firefighting and evacuating
PENTICTON - Hundreds of people remain out of their homes as crews continue to battle the two wildfires in the Oliver area today. There is an uneasy calm after the frantic firefighting and evacuations last night. Smoke plumes dot the mountainsides west of the community today, Aug. 15, after the Wilsons Mountain and Testalinden Creek fires...