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Wildfire

Gusty wind a concern for wildfire crews battling blaze near Kelowna

KELOWNA – The 194-hectare fire burning southeast of Kelowna is completed surrounded by a fire guard, but strong winds in the forecast could change that. The weather system moving through the Okanagan today, Aug. 29, is bringing rain, but also very strong winds. Fire information officer Melissa Klassen says there is a machine guard around...

Communities on edge: Thompson-Okanagan fire officials field calls for false alarms

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fire appears to be at the forefront of many peoples’ minds across the Thompson-Okanagan. With wildfires burning across the province and a blanket of smoke from Washington hanging in the air, fire officials say they are receiving a number of reports which are in fact nothing more than false alarms. In the North...

Possibility of ’ember showers’ from U.S. fire causes Grand Forks evacuation alert

GRAND FORKS – An evacuation alert has been issued for some residents of Grand Forks due to the possibilty of embers being blown across the border from the 19,000 hectare Stickpin wildfire in Washington State. The alert was issued today, Aug. 26 ahead of strong winds expected in the coming days, according to a post...

B.C. crews begin work on Washington wildfire

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - B.C. Wildfire firefighters have begun work on a Washington-based wildfire inching its way toward the Canadian border. With five kilometres left before reaching Canada, B.C. crews have been deployed to suppress the Stickpin Fire which is now estimated to be 19,240 hectares in size. Plans so far are for crews to assess the...

Small North Okanagan town bands together for Rock Creek fire victims

GRINDROD - A small community in the North Okanagan area is rallying together for victims of the Rock Creek wildfire. The Riverfront Pub & Grill is organizing a Ride for Rock Creek to assist people affected by an aggressive wildfire east of Osoyoos in the Rock Creek area. The human-caused fire destroyed 30 homes and...

Highways closed, smoke fills the sky as wildfires take over Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A hot, dry week followed by a lightning storm that moved through the region has led to an increase in aggressive fire activity in the Kamloops and Southeast Fire Centres today. Currently Highways 33 and 3 are closed because of a 350-hectare wildfire that is growing rapidly near Rock Creek. The fire was...

Grass fire near Keremeos under control

KEREMEOS – Two hours after it was spotted this morning, a grass fire near Keremeos is under control. Firefighters with the Keremeos Fire Department and a three-person initial attack crew from B.C. Wildfire are on the scene mopping up the fire about 8 kilometres west of the village along Highway 3, according to fire information...

Big fires down but not out in Kamloops Fire Centre

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The only two wildfires of note in the Kamloops Fire Centre have been downgraded to patrol status. Shelter Cove fire off Westside Road near Kelowna and Bolean Lake fire near Falkland were downgraded August 5 and will now be monitored by crews of five firefighters. “Patrol status means they are done active fire...

Readers respond to #maninbluesuit

KELOWNA – An InfoNews story about a recent visit by Prime Minister to the Shelter Cove wildfire last Friday has ignited a debate about political photo ops and our decision to not name the Prime Minister during a brief visit last Thursday. The story, “Man in blue suit thanks firefighters,” was shared nation-wide and drew...

BOLEAN LAKE FIRE: Evacuation alert lifted; fire 75 per cent contained

FALKLAND – The Bolean Lake wildfire burning near Falkland in the North Okanagan is now 75 per cent contained and the evacuation alert has been lifted. The alert covered 24 properties along the Chase-Falkland Road and the Bolean Lake Lodge. There has been a significant drop in fire behaviour thanks to the cooler, wetter weather...

Crews make progress on Bolean Lake wildfire near Falkland

FALKLAND - Fire crews have made significant headway on the Bolean Lake wildfire near Falkland. As of Friday morning, the 348 hectare fire was 50 per cent contained, according to B.C. Wildfire. The suspected lightning-caused fire was first reported Monday, July 20 and fire crews have worked hard all week to establish some level of containment....

Bolean Lake wildfire near Falkland holding at 348 hectares

FALKLAND - There was no growth in the Bolean Lake wildfire near Falkland overnight, and crews hope to establish some level of containment around the blaze today.  Together, the two fires making up the blaze five kilometres northwest of Falkland in the Bolean Lake area remain at an estimated 348 hectares in size as of Thursday, July...

UPDATE: Bolean Lake wildfire near Falkland flares up

FALKLAND - After seeing no growth Tuesday night, the Bolean Lake wildfire near Falkland expanded in size Wednesday.  B.C. Wildfire estimates the blaze, located five kilometers northwest of Falkland, is now 348 hectares as of 2:18 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22. The fire was a reported 250 hectares earlier in the day and showing a...

Behind the line at the Shelter Cove wildfire

KELOWNA – The Shelter Cove wildfire along Westside Road continues to grow, however Wildfire B.C. says homes and other structures are not threatened and they are confident they will have it under control soon. The fire, which was first reported Monday afternoon, is not yet contained and continues to burn roughly 430 hectares of dry,...

Bolean Lake wildfire near Falkland continues to burn

FALKLAND - The Bolean Lake wildfire near Falkland continues to burn aggressively, although a change in weather is giving crews a better chance to hold it back. The wind died down enough on Tuesday, July 21, for air tankers to return to the skies above the 230-hectare fire, B.C. Wildfire information officer Kelsey Winter says....

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...

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...

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,...