One home evacuated, Highway 97C may shut down due to Okanagan wildfire
Posted August 8, 2014 10:20 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
PEACHLAND (NEWS1130) – Fire crews in the Okanagan are beginning the weekend battling a blaze near the Okanagan Connector between Peachland and West Kelowna.
Fire Information Officer Kelsey Winter says the Drought Hill Fire grew quickly and is about 30-hectares in size.
“It’s mostly just because of the hot weather. It’s also in grass and open timber… a lot of dry, dead needles on the ground. So, that really increased fire activity. It was also burning upslope.”
One home has been evacuated.
Winter says there’s a chance Highway 97 (Okanagan Connector) may have to be shut down if conditions get worse. “If we increase air and ground operations, we may shut down another lane of the highway. But right now, it’s open.”
The fire is believed to have been caused by an abandoned campfire or a lit cigarette. Winter says they are seeing more and more fires caused by people.
“Every human-caused wildfire takes resources away from us responding to naturally occurring wildfires. As we head into more thunderstorms and more hot and dry weather, we really need those resources to be available for the naturally occurring wildfires.”
Airtankers, water bombers, helicopters and several ground crews are being used to battle the blaze. The Peachland and West Kelowna fire departments are also on site.
There are currently 56 active wildfires burning in the Kamloops Fire Centre.
