Two B.C. Wildfire Service personnel erect a fence around the fire camp on Maple Avenue in Oliver. The Testalinden Creek fire has been burning northward. (Lyonel Doherty photo)
Cooler temperatures and some rain over the past several days have helped to stabilize wildfires burning locally and aided firefighting efforts.
Nonetheless, winds have continued to spread the Testalinden Creek fire burning between Osoyoos and Oliver and it has now reached an estimated 4,295 hectares.
On Friday, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) imposed an evacuation order affecting 27 properties in the Fairview Road, Old Golf Course Road and Willowbrook Road areas near Oliver as winds shifted the fire northward.
In the late afternoon Sunday, that order was rescinded, but those homes remain on evacuation alert.
The RDOS has, however, reduced the number of homes on evacuation alert to 180 from an earlier 285. The reduction is due to the fire moving north away from homes in the rural area west of Osoyoos.
The cooler temperatures and moisture have also reduced the wildfire danger rating in the area.
As of Monday, most of the Osoyoos area was under a low to moderate danger rating.
At the same time, the campfire ban that has been in place since early July was lifted throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre area, which includes Osoyoos.
“The campfire ban was rescinded due to recent precipitation, which resulted in a decreased risk of wildfires in the region,” B.C. Wildfire Service said in a news release Monday.
Category 2 and 3 open fires remain prohibited. These include all open fires larger than a half-metre wide by a half-metre high, industrial burning, fireworks, sky lanterns and burning barrels.
As of late afternoon Monday, the Testalinden Creek fire was 60 per cent contained. There were 215 firefighters, four helicopters and 13 pieces of heavy equipment deployed. The firefighters and equipment continue to focus on the northwest flank of the fire north of Reed Creek.
Meanwhile, the fire at Rock Creek, which reached 4,417 hectares, is now 90 per cent contained, but is still active. Crews continue to mop up along the fire line perimeter.
On Sunday, a heat scan was completed which identified just over 40 hotspots within the fire perimeter. Crews are working to seek and extinguish these, B.C. Wildfire Services said.
As of Monday, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary has rescinded the evacuation alerts for all areas of Rock Creek, Westbridge and Christian Valley.
With changed weather, much of the smoke that filled the air in the South Okanagan as a result of wildfires in Washington State last week has diminished.
Nonetheless, the Okanogan Complex, a group of six wildfires that is the largest in the state’s history, is continuing to burn.
As of Monday, the Okanogan Complex had reached nearly 60,000 hectares, mostly around Omak and east of Twisp. Only 30 per cent of the perimeter is contained, and 1,658 personnel were engaged in fighting it.
The Okanogan Complex fires have destroyed 94 residences and cabins and an additional 60 non-residential structures.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
