Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes in Peachland after a fast-moving wildfire erupted on the hottest day of the year.
Residents of about 400 properties were ordered Wednesday afternoon to leave their homes for at least two days as the fire moved quickly through forest-fringed neighborhoods on the north side of town, pop. 6,500, about 25 km south of ѻý. An additional 250 properties were on evacuation alert.
At one point, the fire came within 50 feet of at least one home on Walker Road but quick deployment of air tankers, bucketing helicopters, and skimmers looked to have saved the property.
But every few minutes, mature Ponderosa trees elsewhere would burst into flames in a hillside spectacle watched by the many motorists stranded because of the closure of Highway 97 between Peachland and West ѻý.
As of Thursday, Highway 97 had re-opened with single-lane alternating traffic, after being shut for hours Wednesday afternoon and evening. But small ground fires were still visible alongside the highway, and the forest was burned to the edge of the pavement.
The highway was stained red in places by fire retardant dropped from aircraft.
There were no reports of any structures being lost to the fire.
As of Thursday, the fire was classed at Rank 2, which is described as a “low to moderately vigorous surface fire with a slow to moderate rate of speed and occasional candling of trees”, per the BC Wildfire Service website.
The fire was sized at 27 ha on Thursday morning and it was being worked mainly by Peachland and West ѻý firefiighters, since it was within municipal limits, along with 35 members of the ѻý Wildfire Service.
Fewer aircraft were working the fire than on Wednesday afternoon, but more resources were available if needed, a BCWS spokeswoman said. An earlier update from the BCWS read: Aircraft retardant and water delivery was effective at cooling fire behaviour.”
Still, there was aneerie calm on the north side of Peachland early Thursday, with shrouds of smoke hanging over the evacuated neighborhoods as the sun rose.
As of 7 a.m., no aircraft were working the fire. Although Highway 97 was open with single lane alternating traffic, traffic was backed up for several kilometres on either side of the fire's origin point.
The fire started about 2 p.m. Wednesday because of a vehicle incident on the two-lane section of the highway on Drought Hill. It appeared to have involved a truck towing a piece of heavy machinery.
Within minutes, the fire was moving up a steep, heavily-treed area southwest of the interchange of Highway 97 and Highway 97C (the Okanagan Connector)
The temperature was 36 C, equalling marks set earlier in July. The Okanagan has been under a Heat Advisory issued by Environment Canada, with Thursday's high was expected to again be 36 C, though with a 40 per cent chance of showers.
A small fleet of aircraft was soon on the scene Wednesday afternoon and early evening, dropping water and the red-tinged retardant to slow the fire's advance. One thing aiding firefighters was the relative absence of wind, as conditions were calm with no significant breeze.
A so-called "tactical evacuation" was ordered just before 5 p.m. of approximately 400 Peachland properties, bounded roughly by Highway 97, Highway 97C, and Trepannier Road, a municipal street.
Residents were told they should be prepared to be "away from their properties for an extended period of time". Evacuee reception centres were set up in the Peachland community centre and Royal LePage Place arena in West ѻý for Peachland residents unable to get home because of the highway closure.
Hundreds of more properties were place late Wednesday on an evacuationalert.
While Highway 97 was closed, an alternate route between ѻý and Penticton was available via Forestry Service Road 201 but the journey is over a gravel road and adds several hours to travel times.