Cool, wet weather helping crews battle four wildfires in Central Okanagan; forecast wind a worry | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Cool, wet weather helping crews battle four wildfires in Central Okanagan; forecast wind a worry

FILE - A plume of smoke can be seen from the Little White Mountain fire southeast of Kelowna, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2015. Wildfire crews have been busy the last 24 hours with four wildfires burning around Kelowna but the wet weather today is helping control the largest fire on Little White Mountain.
Image Credit: Twitter/Brittney Andreesen

KELOWNA – Wildfire crews have been busy the last 24 hours with four wildfires burning around Kelowna but the wet weather today is helping control the largest fire on Little White Mountain.

The Little White Mountain fire is approximately 120 hectares in size and not yet fully contained, according to B.C. Wildfire fire information officer Melissa Klassen. There are currently 28 firefighters on scene and seven pieces of heavy equipment worked overnight establishing a fire guard.

Klassen says although the rain today will help, strong winds forecast this afternoon could cause the fire to grow.

A five ha fire burning along Princeton Avenue west of Peachland reported Thursday afternoon has been reduced to a smouldering ground fire thanks to the work of ground crews, along with skimmer aircraft and bucket helicopters.

The wildfire at five kilometer mark of Gillard Forest Service Road towards Chute Lake is now in mop up and not a threat to any structures. Klassen says it required only one initial attack crew to bring it under control.

The fourth fire, at Myra-Bellevue Park, was burning vigorously yesterday, but air crews boxed in the six ha blaze with retardant and there hasn’t been any significant growth overnight. Ten personnel remain on site.

Klassen says an ongoing issue has been residents trying to get close to the fires, something she says puts not only their lives in danger but the lives of firefighters as well.

“Active sites are our work space and we need people to stay out of the area,” she says. “There is no reason for the public to get in the way.”

A map of active wildfires burning around the Central Okanagan.
A map of active wildfires burning around the Central Okanagan.
Image Credit: B.C. Wildfire

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

News from © iNFOnews, 2015
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