Wildfire

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...

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...

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...