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
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.