By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
NOTE: This article summarizes the live update report from July 13/14.
The Regal Ridge wildfire on Anarchist Mountain was declared “Under Control” by the BC Wildfire Service at noon on Tuesday, July 14, almost exactly 24 hours after its discovery and after substantial resources were directed at it ultimately containing it to 2.21 hectares in size.
For anyone in the downtown Osoyoos area on Monday, July 13 around noon, the wail of sirens came in steady waves, seemingly passing through at regular intervals as firefighting equipment made its way through town, racing up Hwy. 3 to the Anarchist Mountain community.
First on scene was the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department (AMFD), which made the call to activate the South Okanagan Similkameen (SOS) Task Force consisting of the fire departments of South Okanagan and Similkameen.
Once the call is placed to dispatch, it automatically goes out to all task force departments who then respond if they’re able. The AMFD alerted residents to expect multiple fire apparatus travelling through local communities, particularly Osoyoos, as firefighting equipment made its way up Anarchist Mountain.
Photo courtesy of Debra Ceravolo.
The call for mutual assistance included crews and equipment responding from Osoyoos, Oliver, Keremeos, Willowbrook, Okanagan Falls, Kaleden and Naramata. About a dozen firefighting vehicles are estimated to have raced up the mountain to assist. This included Osoyoos, which sent two apparatus and seven firefighters, and Oliver, which sent two apparatus and eight firefighters.
Meanwhile, residents of the Anarchist Mountain community were taking to social media, saying the fire was located near Cougar Court and moving towards Sasquatch Trail.
The fire also appeared on the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) Dashboard, which listed it as an “Out of Control” fire located at “Regal Ridge” with the suspected cause listed as “Human”. A BCWS spotter aircraft was seen surveying the fire at around 2 p.m. on Monday, and shortly after, two helicopters began water bucketing with six additional retardant drops by air tanker.
A resident of the Anarchist community, Jarod Sisson, said area residents had been advised to turn on their sprinklers and “have our ‘go bags’ ready”.
At 3 p.m., an Evacuation Alert was issued by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) based on what it said was the “potential danger to life and health due to the threat of a fire,” which applied to properties along Cougar Court and Sasquatch Trail, on Anarchist Mountain.
By 3:55 p.m., the BCWS had updated the status of the wildfire on Anarchist Mountain from “Out of Control” to “Being Held”. This means, barring fuel and weather conditions, the fire was expected to remain within the current perimeter. The RDOS then rescinded the Evacuation Alert shortly after.
According to the AMFD, crews remained on scene throughout the night working hotspots and ensuring the fire remained “Held”. BC Wildfire also had additional crews on scene on Tuesday with the change of status to “Under Control” issued at noon.
Photo courtesy of Debra Ceravolo.
Helicopter bucketing the fire with water. Photo courtesy of Debra Cerevolo.
The Anarchist Mountain Fire Department expressed its “sincerest thanks to all the agencies that stepped up today to assist in fighting the wildfire.” This included the South Okanagan Similkameen Task Force members, BC Wildfire, RDOS EOC, BC Ambulance, RCMP, and Fortis.
“Thanks to all those that provided support today. Your fast response allowed us to get a quick handle on what could have been a much larger incident had we still been experiencing the high winds as of late.
“The strength and fast response by all members of the SOS Task Force was instrumental in getting this fire held,” the AMFD said.
The Task Force is unique because while it is part of the Mutual Aid Agreements common in the province, this structure effectively streamlines the process.
Photo courtesy of Debra Ceravolo.
Urs Grob, Anarchist Mountain Fire Department Chief, had earlier explained to the Times Chronicle that one call to the dispatcher declaring it as a task force request and all South Okanagan fire departments get the call.
The idea came about four years ago and was first used during the Keremeos Creek wildfire and various fires, including the Upper Park Rill Creek wildfire near Willowbrook in 2023.
“We get an answer whoever is available; we never know how many,” he said, adding that “it’s better to have too much than not enough.”
For many the fire sparked memories of the 2021 Nk’Mip Creek wildfire that burned an estimated 19,935 hectares and forced numerous evacuations on the mountain and within the town of Osoyoos as well.
South Okanagan residents are reminded to download the free Voyent Alert! app from the Apple or Android store to their smartphones for emergency notifications.
