Planned ignitions guide the Eagle Bluff fire south, away from communities
Posted August 10, 2019 5:03 pm.
Last Updated August 10, 2019 6:30 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER – The BC Wildfire Service says the Eagle Bluff fire south of Okanagan Falls has grown to nearly 27 square kilometres in size.
Crews mapped the perimeter of wildfire and conducted planned ignitions on Friday evening, helping to direct the growth of the fire southeast towards safer, more workable terrain for ground crews.
Fire information officer Kyla Fraser says an evacuation alert remains in place and the fire is still classified as out of control, but crews are making good progress.
“The fire perimeter was tracked last night, and the fire is now 2680 hectares in size. It remains classified as Out of Control. Yesterday growth occurred in two areas. The wildfire grew predominantly towards the north and northwest due to southerly winds, however this growth did not threaten structures or communities. A planned ignition operation occurred yesterday evening, which expanded the fire boundary towards control lines in the south. Most of the growth that occurred yesterday was due to this planned ignition. Cool weather conditions mean not much growth is expected to occur today,” an information bulletin issued Saturday says.
On Saturday afternoon a helicopter was expected to help build a fire retardant line in steep and rocky areas that pose challenges for ground crews.
The fire service has employed 169 firefighters, 15 helicopters and 19 pieces of heavy equipment to fight the blaze, and structure protection teams have been stationed throughout nearby communities as a precautionary measure.
