BC Wildfire Service plans control burns to bring Okanagan wildfire under check

The BC Wildfire Service says planned ignitions are scheduled to enclose a fire burning in the southern Okanagan.

Information officer Mikhail Elsay says the controlled burn will increase the perimeter of the fire, which is about 21 kilometres southwest of Penticton, but will help bring the nearly 60-square-kilometre blaze under control.

He says the area is much hotter and drier than it has been over the past few days, which will increase fire activity, but the winds are calmer and that will help firefighters.

Elsay says the past few nights have been quiet and the service is hoping for similar conditions so they can bring the wildfire under control.

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen’s emergency operations centre says more than 500 properties are under an evacuation order while over 1,000 others are under an evacuation alert.

A crew made up of 381 firefighters is working to contain the blaze, which is one of the eight wildfires of note in the province, meaning it is highly visible or poses a potential threat to public safety.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2022.

The Canadian Press