A critical road in the Okanagan region of BC has reopened after a nearby forest fire caused the evacuation of 400 properties.
The Okanagan connector (97c highway) had closed in both directions from the Union of the 97 Highway to the Union of the 5A Highway, a distance of 82.5 kilometers, just before 3 pm PT on Wednesday. Around 9:10 PM PT, DRIVEBC said he had reopened in both directions.
However, the authorities say that a section of the 97 highway between Peachland and the 97C Highway Junction has only reopened to the single lane alternative traffic while the fire continues to burning over an area of around 27 hectares.
The Regional District of the Emergency Operations Center of the Okanagan center said in a statement around 4:45 pm PT that residents of around 400 properties received the order to leave due to the fire, which is about two kilometers north of Peachland, BC.
Evacuation centers have been established at the Peachland Community Center and the West Kelowna Royal Lepage place, according to officials.
The properties east of Trepanier Bench Road, south of the 97C highway and north of the 97 highway are in an evacuation order.
The Regional District said in an update around 7:30 pm PT that evacuation orders will remain in place for approximately 48 hours and will be revalued on Thursday morning.
An evacuation alert for around 225 properties to the southwest of the area under an evacuation order has been issued.
An evacuation alert means that residents must be prepared to leave at any time, while an evacuation order means that residents must go immediately.
According to the officials.
The mayor of Peachland, Patrick Van Minsel, is among those who had to leave their homes due to the fire. He estimates that the smoke of the fire was 500 to 600 meters from his house, which is in a community of slopes among many trees.
“I think there is no reason to be, you know, in panic,” he told Sarah Penton, presenter of CBC’s Radio to the westWednesday afternoon of the evacuation center.
“Believe [the] The fire department is in it, we have a lot of confidence in them, “he added.” And I have a lot of hope that they will handle it. “
People in hundreds of properties in the Okanagan have been ordered to leave due to a rapidly growing forest fire. It is burning between Peachland and West Kelowna, closing two main roads, including the Okanagan connector and a part of the 97 highway.
Van Misel said that anyone who had to leave their homes should have a place to go, since the community center is very large and that people who are not under the order of evacuation are welcoming and would take evacuees.
Taylor Colman, a fire information officer from the BC Infire Wildfire Service, said the teams were seeing a moderate fire rate spread on Wednesday night.
“Fortunately, tankers and air skimmers who are really responding have helped cool the behavior of fire and slowed down,” he said just before 6 PM PT. “And then our staff on the ground can support Peachland’s department with the response to the ground.”
In an update later on Wednesday night, the service says that a firefighters crew, specialists in structure and personnel protection of Peachland Fire & Rescue would remain on the scene during the night.
The fire caused during the hot week
The fire was caused in the middle of a suffocating week for the interior of southern BC, with the Canada environment maintaining a heat warning for the Okanagan valley on Wednesday.
Officials have not yet categorized the fire as a “forest fire”, a designation that means that it is particularly visible or represents a threat to public security.
It is suspected that the fire was initiated by human activity, a broad category that includes any fire that is not caused by lightning.
An active forest fire in the BC Okanagan region has closed a critical road, which caused the tactical evacuation of 400 nearby properties. Rene Diron, an evacuated area, remembers the moments before its mandatory evacuation.
Two other important fires are burning in the southern half of the province, including the Bear Creek forest fire near Lake Harrison, and a fire south of Lytton that has caused evacuation alerts.
Kelowna RCMP said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that fire extinguish helicopters would use the nearby Okanagan lake to refuel, and that navigators should avoid the area.
“Navigators are asked to take into account and do not obstruct the plane to access the lake in their fire fighting efforts,” says the statement.
