Some evacuation orders lifted near Keremeos, B.C., wildfire
Evacuation orders were lifted for about 50 properties near a wildfire in Keremeos, B.C., as crews expect to see subdued conditions over the coming days.
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen announced the change to evacuation orders and alerts for select properties along Highway 3A Wednesday morning.
It pertains primarily to properties in the areas of Twin Lakes Road and White Lake Road.
For properties that were under evacuation order, an alert is instead in place. There are still 493 properties on evacuation order and more than 900 on evacuation alert.
Mikhail Elsay with BC Wildfire Service said during a morning update the changes were recommended based on "current and anticipated fire behaviour."
"Crews have been able to diligently mop up and reduce the risk of wildfire in that section," he said.
Overnight, a drone-operated thermal scan was conducted to determine where hotspots need to be targeted along the highway corridor.
"Crews have done a very thorough job over the last few days, and so this thermal scan will allow us to really nail down the final spots," Elsay said.
"There's lots of rocky, deep-burning root systems … these drones are very sensitive, they can pick up even small amounts of heat, so we'll be able to really confirm the work that we're doing out there."
The fire, discovered on July 29 southwest of Penticton, measured at just over 6,800 hectares Wednesday morning.
If positive progress continues, and the weather co-operates, orders for more neighbourhoods could be lifted in the coming days.
As of Wednesday evening, evacuation orders remain in place for all of Olalla and communities around Apex Mountain Resort.
The BC Wildfire Service expects the fire to continue to burn – sometimes aggressively – for weeks, but is confident the guards it has put in place around communities will be able to protect them.
To get to this stage, firefighters have used controlled burns to clear out additional fuel that could feed the fire in otherwise unpredictable ways, and fire blocks created by using heavy machinery to bulldoze sections of brush, creating a gap crews hope the fire will not be able to cross.
“Operations are going really well. We continue to establish lines to the west and on the north components of this fire,” said Bryan Zandberg, a fire information officer. “We have crews out there trying to cool it down.”
Even as the outlook improves on the Keremeos Creek fire, there is trouble looming on the horizon elsewhere in the southern Interior of the province.
Thunderstorms threaten to bring lightning strikes, which could ignite more fires throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre.
BCWS says it has people monitoring the storm system and teams of firefighters ready for rapid deployment to try to get the upper hand on any new fires caused by the anticipated lightning.
“We will have a lot of initial attack crews that are poised and ready to go,” said Zandberg. “They’re put on standby, ready to go at a moment’s notice, hop in a helicopter or a pump truck as need be, and just get to the scene really quickly.”
After a slow start, there is the very real possibility the province’s fire season could ramp up, with weeks to go before British Columbians can breathe easy.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.