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UPDATE: 11:15 a.m
Evacuation orders near the Keremeos Creek wildfire dropped from 547 to 493 Wednesday, and many properties under evacuation warnings have also been canceled.
The communities of Olalla, Apex and sections of Green Mountain Road remain under evacuation orders, but some properties near those areas are considered safe to return to, and it is understood they remain on alert.
Highway 3A will reopen to approved local traffic only today and re-entry packages from the Okanagan Similkameen Regional District will be distributed to those returning home.
There are multiple security checkpoints on Green Mountain Road, routes to Apex and 3A to ensure entrants are allowed to do so. Residents are asked to follow evacuation orders and not attempt to return unless permitted to do so for their own safety and the safety of emergency crews.
BC WIldfire information officer Mikhail Elsay said work on the wildfire is progressing well and thermal scans will be used to “determine the last patches” near populated areas.
“These drones are very sensitive, they can pick up even very small amounts of heat. So we’ll be able to really validate the work we’re doing there,” Elzey said.
While progress is good, there is no timetable for when this fire will be fully extinguished.
“This fire is still an out of control wildfire and although we are making good progress, this fire is still not contained and this time out of control, especially on the western flanks,” Elzey said.
“It’s a very large fire footprint on the landscape. So we’re working as hard as we can to get this fire under control, but it’s going to be a long time before we can fully wrap this thing up.”
Structural protection has generally been going well throughout the duration of this wildfire. A farmhouse was lost in the early days of the fire, and an outbuilding was lost in the northern Olala area on Tuesday night, but no one was injured.
Check the RDOS interactive map online here to enter your property address and find out if it is under an order, warning or neither. Those whose orders have been canceled will be notified.
The RDOS will host another update with the BC Wildfire Service at 2:00 pm today, Wednesday, August 10. Castanet will broadcast it live.
UPDATE: 10:15 a.m
Evacuation orders and warnings have been changed for regions affected by the Keremeos Creek wildfire.
“Evacuation orders have been lifted for properties from Twin Lakes to north of Olala. This includes select properties accessible to homes along Sheep Creek Road,” read a notice released by the RDOS on Wednesday morning.
Highway 3A will remain closed except for local traffic. Checkpoints have been established along Highway 3A to limit traffic to local traffic only to access properties that have been downgraded from an order to a warning.
“Due to the threat of wildfire, these properties will remain under an evacuation alert,” the update said.
The evacuation warning has been lifted for the Twin Lakes area and the White Lake Road area.
Check the RDOS interactive map online here to enter your property address and find out if it is under an order, warning or neither.
The communities of Olalla, Apex and sections of Green Mountain Rd remain under evacuation orders.
The RDOS Emergency Operations Center is hosting a live video conference at 10:30am to explain these changes.
Photo: BCWS
ORIGINAL: 6:15 am
Planned ignitions of the Keremeos Creek wildfire southwest of Penticton were canceled Tuesday due to rain.
In an update Tuesday night, the British Columbia Wildfire Service said additional fires could resume when conditions are more favorable.
The fire is believed to have burned 6,836 hectares.
When conditions are favorable, crews continue to patrol, spot and clean at the interface, Highway 3A and along key fire protection sections.
On the west flank, crews continue to attack the fire from Green Mountain Road to Keremeos Creek Forest Service Road. Heavy equipment continues to be used to establish emergency lines from Apex Mountain through Dividend Mountain to southern Keremeos Creek.
Crews have established hand lines along Olalla Creek Forest Service Road and are mobilizing up Cedar Creek to build a line connecting the south end of Dividend Mountain.
Firefighters are working to contain the fire on the west and north flanks thanks to increasingly stable lines on the south and east sides of the fire.
Key work areas include Olalla Forest Service Road, Green Mountain Road north, Keremeos Creek FSR, Winter Creek, the Apex Mountain Resort area, Cedar Creek and Dividend Mountain.
The structural branch continues to operate in the Sheep Creek, Green Mountain and Apex areas, but reallocates resources as needed.
A key objective is to continue to reduce impacts on the public in a timely manner, the bushfire service says.
“This requires the completion of clean-up operations at the urban wildlife interface to facilitate a safe return home for residents. Crews continue to clean up the fire along the Highway 3A corridor to facilitate the return of evacuees and the reopening of that corridor to travel.
“The Structures Protection Branch continues to protect property in all problem areas at the edge of the fire. Night operations continue with both wildland patrols and structural crews clearing as needed.’
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