BC Wildfire Service firefighters attend to the Richter Creek fire west of Osoyoos on Tuesday morning. (Vanessa Broadbent / Osoyoos Times)

Update – 4:45 p.m. 

Thirteen properties in Cawston area are under an evacuation alert as crews still work to contain the Richter Creek wildfire.

BC Wildfire estimates the fire is now 400 hectares in size.

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen issued the alert at 4:30 p.m. preparing property owners to evacuate the area if necessary.

The following Cawston properties were issued the alert:

154 Sumac Rd.
156 Sumac Rd.
164 Sumac Rd.
172 Sumac Rd.
190 Sumac Rd.
199 Highway 3
264 Sumac Rd.
296 Sumac Rd.
306 Sumac Rd.
611 Sumac Rd.
620 Sumac Rd.
199 Highway 3
330 Highway 3

Update – 3:50 p.m. 

Reinforcements in the form of ground personnel are heading to the area west of Osoyoos where BC Wildfire stated the fire is still 250 hectares in size Tuesday afternoon.

“There is some wind down there today, so crews are being challenged with that,” said Hannah Swift, fire information officer with BC Wildfire.

The fire has only grown westward from Hwy 3, 12 kilometers west of Osoyoos, and traffic continues to flow through the area.

More ground personnel are arriving either Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. Swift said BC Wildfire isn’t expecting to release another update until that time.

Keremeos RCMP Cpl. Brian Evans confirmed an investigation has been opened into an incident related to the fire involving a vehicle. BC Wildfire is also investigating a vehicle fire which they have stated allegedly started the blaze.

Update – 9 a.m. 

The Richter Creek wildfire burning 12 kilometres west of Osoyoos has increased to 250 hectares in size.

The fire is still considered out of control, BC Wildfire Service fire information officer Hannah Swift said, and one evacuation alert remains in place.

There are 40 personnel on site and two helicopters have been dedicated to the fire today. Additional resources have also been requested, Swift said.

The cause of the fire has been determined as a vehicle fire that spread into nearby grass along Highway 3.

Update – 8 p.m. 

BC Wildfire Service is now estimating that the Richter Creek wildfire is 80 hectares in size.

Two helicopters and 28 ground crew personnel will work into the evening, and some personnel will remain on site overnight.

Firefighters battled the Richter Creek wildfire west of Osoyoos throughout the night. The fire is now 250 hectares in size. (Dan Walton / Aberdeen Publishing)

Update – 6:20 p.m. 

One property has been put on alert to evacuate as crews continue to battle a wildfire west of Osoyoos.

The Regional District Okanagan Similkameen issued the evacuation alert for the property along Highway 3 in Electoral Area B.

“An evacuation alert has been issued to prepare the property owner to evacuate the premises or property should an evacuation order be issued,” states a press release put out by the RDOS Monday evening. “The property owner will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to an evacuation order, however limited notice may be provided due to changing conditions.
Proactive measures to prepare for an evacuation order are strongly advised.”

A nearby ranch is the only property with structures near the fire, which was burning less than a kilometer from the property Monday afternoon.

Two helicopters were dropping water in tandem around 4 p.m. Monday to try and keep a wildfire west of Osoyoos under control. (Dale Boyd / Osoyoos Times)

Original story:

Firefighters are currently battling a wildfire west of Osoyoos, classified as aggressive and out of control.

BC Wildfire Service is attending the 15 hectare blaze, suspected to be human-caused, 12 kilometres west of Osoyoos along Highway 3.

The fire is classified as out of control, and is an aggressive surface fire and moving quickly, fire information officer Hannah Swift said.

Currently 28 BC Wildfire Service personnel are on site, as well as two helicopters. Air tankers were on scene earlier, but left due to heavy smoke, Swift said

Bystanders look on as winds pick up flames just off of Hwy 3, west of Osoyoos. (Dale Boyd / Osoyoos Times)

Landowners stood next to their property watching the blaze, metres away, on the east side of the highway.

One man, who declined to be interviewed on the record, said the fire started around 11 a.m.

He said RCMP were talking to the driver of an RV that may have skidded on the highway, but declined to comment further.

No structures are threatened at this time, BC Wildfire stated, but smoke will be visible from Osoyoos and along Highway 3. At this time, Highway 3 is still open to traffic.

Earlier Monday afternoon, the Osoyoos Fire Department also responded to a second, smaller fire on Strawberry Creek Road that started when a spark from a nearby grinder ignited brush.

According to RCMP on scene, the fire started accidentally and was quickly under control, thanks to help from a nearby water truck.

BC Wildfire Service is battling a blaze west of Osoyoos. (Dale Boyd / Osoyoos Times)

BC Wildfire Service is battling a blaze west of Osoyoos. (Dale Boyd / Osoyoos Times)