By Lyonel Doherty

Times-Chronicle

The Oliver Fire department has been on the front lines in the Christie Mountain fire, with members playing a tense chess game against a tough adversary.

Media relations officer Rob Graham said they have been fairly active in the blaze that started in the Heritage Hills community near Penticton on Tuesday. (They were called there as mutual aid for the Okanagan Falls Volunteer Fire Department, which has taken the lead in the crisis.)

A crew of five Oliver members provided structural protection to homes in the Big Horn Trail subdivision. They ended up spending the night there playing a cat and mouse game with the fire.

Photo courtesy of Oliver Fire Department

At one point, the fire crested the area and the crew had to pull back to a safe location. Once the intensity died down, they moved back in to knock down flames that crept close to properties.
“From there it was all knocking down ground surface fire, keeping it from getting into trees and watching for any embers that may cause spot fires,” Graham said.
Winds were shifting quite a bit and fueled the fire, causing it to expand and force crews back to safety again.

Graham said the wind changed, prompting the fire to burn back on itself.

“Things were very dry and lots of quick intense burning trees were observed while on scene.”
Graham noted the terrain was quite steep in some areas, so crews did not venture too far after seeing some trees come “crashing down.”

This morning, Oliver crews were called back to the fire with one engine and one water tender.

More than 300 Heritage Hills residents are still evacuated from the area, and upper Carmi residents in Penticton are still on evacuation alert.

The fire continues to be active at 2,000 hectares without containment. So far, one house has been destroyed, but no injuries have been reported. Forecasted winds this afternoon could throw another challenge at firefighters today.