Olalla residents return to find wildfire burned within metres of some homes
Evacuated residents from the town of Olalla, B.C., got the good news they’ve been hoping for Thursday when word came that they could return home.
Not long after the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen made the announcement, people who had been away for a week, since the evacuation order was issued, rushed to get back and see how close the Keremeos Creek fire came to their properties.
In some cases they saw that the fire had burned within 20 metres of houses.
“We are pretty grateful. My wife burst into tears. She couldn’t believe how close it got either,” said Marcel Mackel as he gestured towards the charred landscape. “Neither could I. We are just grateful that we still have a house.”
Tommy Smitheram was one of many who chose not to leave with the fire bearing down on the community — staying to try to protect his house instead.
He and some neighbours used a series of pumps and hoses to water down their properties with water from a nearby creek.
“The ones that stayed, we were kind of equipped for it. We had to be,” said Smitheram. “I don’t have fire insurance, you know? I built my own log house here.”
Although the fire was close, it didn’t encroach on his property or that of his neighbours.
“There were some embers coming down for a couple of days but the firefighters really did a great job,” said Luka Antic, who lives on the same block.
The fire continues to burn, but mostly in areas where there are no properties under threat.
The BC Wildfire Service is using planned ignitions to initiate controlled burns near Olalla and has warned residents they should expect to see increased smoke.
As work continues to contain the Keremeos Creek fire, BCWS is also closely monitoring thunderstorms developing across the interior of the province.
An intense cell crossed Penticton and Okanagan Lake Wednesday night, lighting up the sky for more than an hour with large flashes of lightning.
BCWS says it has rapid attack teams ready to deploy to any new fires started by lightning in an effort to get an upper hand on them before they pose a threat to property or people.
Residents of Olalla who spent a stressful week away are grateful for the efforts of firefighters who protected their homes.
“Great job all around. I read a story about how they’re getting paid — and they better get a raise after this one,” said Mackell.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
RCMP officers had no legal authority to enter man's home, make arrest: B.C. court
A B.C. man has been found not guilty of assaulting two RCMP officers – with the court finding he was resisting an "unlawful entry and arrest" in his home before he was tasered, taken down and hauled away in handcuffs.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.