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Wildfire
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...
Boot Hill fire completely contained
PENTICTON - The Boot Hill fire near Lookout Mountain is 100 per cent contained with the goal achieved Tuesday evening. The 101 hectare fire is located 30 kilometres south of Penticton. The fire was caused by lightning and was not an interface fire, according to B.C. Wildfire. The fire was first called in on July...
Washington wildfire smoke spreads north
SOUTH OKANAGAN - Smoke caused by Washington wildfires has been steadily creeping up the South Okanagan valley since Monday afternoon. There has been little smoke around the Penticton area from the Apex and Jura Mountain fires that have been burning for more than a week, so just how big are these fires in Washington that...
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...
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...
Jura Mountain fire almost entirely contained
PENTICTON - The Jura Mountain wildfire is now 90 per cent contained as crews continue to calm the flames. The fire is estimated to be 460 hecates in size and believed to be human caused. There are 27 firefighters, 20 service staff, 2 helicopters, 8 pieces of heavy equipment with air tankers hitting the fire...
Apex wildfire still not out after one week
PENTICTON - A fire that broke out last week on Apex Mountain continues to burn but is 75 per cent contained as of Monday morning. The fire is estimated to be 345 hectares in size and believed to be human caused, however an investigation is still underway. There are 15 firefighters and one piece of...
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: Boot Hill fire partially contained
PENTICTON - A fire burning 30 kilometres southwest of Penticton near Lookout Mountain is now 50 per cent contained. As of Saturday night the fire is mapped at 100 hectares, down from the 138 ha it was thought to be Friday, and was caused by lightning. It is was first discovered Monday, July 14 and...
UPDATE: Jura Mountain fire 70 per cent contained
PENTICTON - The wildfire burning near Jura Mountain remains 460 hectares in size and is still 70 per cent contained Sunday. The blaze is burning near five kilometres southeast of Missezula Lake. There are 27 firefighters, 4 helicopters, 9 pieces of heavy equipment with air tankers hitting the fire as needed, according to the B.C....
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...
UPDATE: Apex wildfire now 60 per cent contained
PENTICTON - The wildfire on Apex mountain has burned 345 hectares and is now 60 per cent contained. The evacuation alert issued Wednesday remains in place for the lower portions of Green Mountain and Apex Mountain Roads, though it has been lowered to nine properties from 13. B.C. Wildifre has also reduced the amount of resources...
Pet rescues underway in Smith Creek fire zone
WEST KELOWNA - An animal rescue team is doing everything possible to ensure no pet is left behind while a forest fire rages in West Kelowna. The Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team (CDART) has recovered over 60 animals from the evacuation zone near Smith Creek, including 16 horses, 21 cats and 21 dogs. Spokesperson Petra...
Crews making progress on Smith Creek wildfire; evacuation order still in place
WEST KELOWNA – Despite the cooler weather and some rain showers Saturday, the Smith Creek wildfire in West Kelowna is still a threat to homes in the area. While north and central parts of the province saw the fire danger ratings downgraded to low or moderate, the Southern Interior still has high to extreme ratings....
UPDATE: Smith Creek fire now 30 per cent contained
WEST KELOWNA – Some positive news from the fire lines at the Smith Creek wildfire burning in West Kelowna Saturday morning. B.C. Wildfire Management is reporting the 260 hectare blaze is now 30 per cent contained. The perimeter contained is the area of the fire closest to the 1,100 evacuated homes. The cooler temperatures, higher humidity...
Evacuees watch crews attempt to save their homes
WEST KELOWNA - Margaret Maljevac is living out of Rubbermaid bins and watching water bombers swirl above her home, hoping it will still be there when the evacuation order is lifted. Maljevac is one of thousands of residents displaced by the Smith Creek wildfire in West Kelowna, now 400 hectares large and only 20 per...
Vet opens heart, clinic to evacuated pets
WEST KELOWNA - Evacuations can be a high stress situtation but one local vet is trying to make it easier on people and their pets by offering free kennelling for all pets displaced by the wildfire burning in West Kelowna right now. Dr. Moshe Oz , a vet with Rose Valley Veterinary Clinic, says they’ve...
Smith Creek fire closes parks; music will still be heard
WEST KELOWNA - Three Central Okanagan Regional District parks are closed in West Kelowna because of the danger from Smith Creek wildfire. Glen Canyon, Shannon Lake, Rose Valley Regional Parks are all closed as a result of fire activity and will remain closed until further notice. "The Regional District apologizes for any inconvenience and encourages...
Fires rage across province
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Firefighting resources are being juggled and reassigned as British Columbia's Wildfire Management Branch handles several blazes, including one that forced about 2,500 people from their homes. The Smith Creek fire near West Kelowna raged to an estimated 400 hectares by Friday morning, only a day after an evacuation order was issued for the...
UPDATE: Aggressive Murray Lake fire partially contained
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - An aggressive fire south of Merritt near Murray Lake is now 30 per cent contained, though an evacuation order for all properties adjacent to the lake remains. The Thompson Nicola Regional District issued the state of emergency and evacuation order around 9 p.m. Wednesday due to the potential threat. The evacuation order covers...
Evacuations ordered in Botanie Creek wildfire
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District is issuing a Declaration of State of Local Emergency in Electoral Area "I" (Blue Sky Country) and an Evacuation Order for residents on Botanie Creek Road due to the potential threat to life and health from the Botanie Creek Wildfire north of Lytton. The fire is up to 470 ha and B.C. Wildfire has no...
Air quality health advisory issued due to smoke
KAMLOOPS – The Ministry of Environment has issued an air quality advisory for Kamloops thanks to the smoke from forest fires burning in northern B.C. The air quality health index reading is currently a seven out of ten. The higher the number on the scale signifies a higher risk. A seven is considered a high health risk...
Smoky skies advisory for Interior
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fires to the north of us are causing smoky conditions and the Ministry of Environment is now warning people to take additional precautions because of the smoke. A smoky skies advisory was issued today for the Thompson, Shuswap, Okanagan, Similkameen, Nicola, Boundary and Fraser Canyon areas. Similar advisories have also been issued for...