Residents on evacuation alert
EDITOR’S NOTE: In recognition of Canada’s 150th anniversary, The Herald is reprinting historic stories from the South Okanagan focusing on the biggest news story of each year.
JULY 21, 1994 — Upper Carmi Avenue residents have been put on evacuation notice while firefighters battle a 150 to 200-hectare fire raging out of control outside Penticton.
The fire broke out around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday and by 8 a.m. today, the Penticton Forest District said it had spread to almost 200 hectares on the south side of Ellis Creek Canyon wedged between Carmi and Wiltse Flats, another residential area. One hectare equals 2.47 acres.
“An evacuation plan is in place, but it’s not imminent,” Laverne Cormier, spokeswoman with the Penticton Forest District said this morning.
“This is a safety precaution — we certainly don’t want to alarm people,” she said.
This morning Cormier said the head of the fire to the south is starting to pick up and ground crews were placing a handguard close to the Wiltse area to block the fire from moving to that direction.
Meanwhile, 60 firefighters from forest district units in Vernon, Princeton and Kamloops were on the scene early this morning to resume air attack.
Firefighters are also using helicopters to bucket the area and rapid attack crews were on route at 8 a.m. These crews will rappel into the forest and clear a rough landing places for helicopters.
Last night bright orange flames were visible from throughout the city, as dozens of people stopped at numerous vantage points to watch air tankers attack the blaze.
Blockades were set up on Carmi Road and Wiltse Road limiting traffic to area residents.
The fire broke out beside the creek at the bottom of the canyon, before spreading up the south hillside towards Wiltse Mountain. However, its cause was not immediately known.