Efforts to contain Christie Mountain blaze in B.C. continue
At least one home has been destroyed, hundreds evacuated, thousands on notice as wildfire remains uncontrolled in southern B.C.
The Christie Mountain Fire continues to burn amid the hot and dry conditions that have been plaguing parts of British Columbia, growing by hundreds of hectares between Wednesday and Thursday.
The B.C. Wildfire Service's Thursday update noted the fire has grown from 1,400 to 2,000 hectares. 84 firefighters and 10 helicopters are working to bring the fire to heel, and though the service says the fire was "mostly quiet" overnight and firefighters made progress against it, their efforts were hampered by the sloped terrain, poor visibility, and weather conditions.
"Forecasted winds may pose a challenge this afternoon. They are expected to be 20-40 kilometres per hour and gusting up to 70 kilometres per hour out of the south," the B.C. Wildfire Service said in its latest update.
More than 300 homes have been placed under an evacuation order since the fire was discovered on Tuesday afternoon roughly six kilometres north of Okanagan Falls on the east side of Skaha Lake.
Meanwhile, residents in Penticton — about 12 kilometres north of the fire — have been put on notice as well. Properties put on evacuation alert include nearly 3,700 homes in Penticton and 116 in the Upper Carmi area and Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park, just south of Penticton. CBC News confirms that at least one home has been destroyed by the flames.
The cause of the wildfire is still under investigation.
Further information on alerts and orders can be found on the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and the City of Penticton websites.
Smoke from the wildfires seen from space. Image: NASA.
HOT, DRY CONDITIONS
Nearly 100 wildfires have been sparked in B.C. following a Sunday night thunderstorm and intense heat that has gripped the southern part of the province for days.
Penticton has experienced six consecutive days above 30°C, but temperatures are forecast to trend back to seasonal (mid-upper 20s) Saturday.
Precipitation through the southern interior has been well below normal for the last 30-60 days. Precipitation amounts have been at less than 40 per cent for the southern Okanagan in the last 30 days.
An upper trough swinging down the B.C. coast is not expected to bring much relief for the fire, with just a low chance of a spotty shower or thunderstorm Thursday and Friday. West-northwesterly winds will be breezy through Friday afternoon, with 40-60 km/h gusts, which may hinder fire containment efforts.
TWO OTHER MAJOR WILDFIRES
Doctor Creek
The fire, also ignited on Tuesday, is currently 25 kilometres southwest of Canal Flats and is approximately 400 hectares in size. The Regional District of East Kootenay issued an evacuation order Wednesday for properties in the Findlay Creek area, west of Canal Flats in southeastern B.C.
"This is a rapidly evolving situation and as such the estimated size of this fire is expected to increase as accurate mapping becomes available," B.C. Wildfire Service said in the update.
The service says the fire was caused by lightning, with 20 firefighters and a 20-person crew on the ground responding to it, adding that heavy equipment was en route.
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Solomon Mountain
Located four kilometres north of Beaverdell, the fire was sparked on Tuesday, as well, and as of Thursday morning was 17.5 hectares in size.
The B.C. Wildfire Service has had more luck with this fire, with crews successfully establishing control lines.
"This fire is now classified as being held which means that sufficient suppression action has been taken that the fire is not likely to spread beyond existing or predetermined boundaries under the prevailing and forecasted conditions," the service said Thursday.
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With files from CBC.