Naramata residents ready to flee; fire less than 10 kilometres away

Everybody’ s pretty worried because the fire came up again a little last night. We’re ready to go if we have to.We’re just waiting for them (fire officials) to tell us what to do. Manuel Araujo

JULY 30, 1994 – Naramata residents are nervously preparing for possible evacuation today while thousands of long-weekend tourists stream into the Okanagan despite the raging Garnet fire.

The leading edge of the out-of-control 5,000-hectare blaze is less than 10 kilometres from Naramata, a resort and farming community on the east side side of Okanagan Lake.

Many homeowners and orchardists are ready to flee with as little as 15 minutes notice if winds push the flames down a heavily treed slope toward Naramata.

“Everybody’s pretty worried because the fire came up again a little last night,” said Manuel Araujo, whose family has packed up some of their belongings.

“We’re ready to go if we have to. We’re just waiting for them (fire officials) to tell us what to do,” Araujo said.

“It really is nerve wracking because it seems like there’s nothing anyone can do to stop this fire,” Carol Shea said early today before she left for work in Penticton.

“I have all the stuff I really need in my car, some clothes, pictures and financial papers,” Shea said. “And I’m hanging onto my fire insurance policy pretty tightly.”

But others in Naramata seemed to be taking a more skeptical view of the fire threat, saying they hadn’t even bothered to prepare for evacuation.

“There’s some people that have already picked up and gone, but I’m not panicked,” said Duane Bacon. “The fire’s still a long way away from the village … it would have to be total pandemonium for it to get this far.”

Calm winds overnight and early today have helped the 500 firefighters battling to control the blaze.

Fire information officer Tony Zanotto said the risk to Naramata was considered slight since crews have established fireguards around the western edge of the blaze.

“The fire is basically expanding to the east (away from residential areas),” Zanotto said.

“No property or homes are threatened, but a lot depends on what the wind does.”

A thick blanket of smoke hung over Penticton this morning, temporarily grounding water bombers and air tankers. But helicopters were able to ferry in equipment to crews working on fire guards, Zanotto said.

This is traditionally the most lucrative weekend for the Okanagan hospitality industry, with thousands of tourists here to soak up the sun and sit on the beaches.

The population of Penticton triples according to some estimates, with visitors pumping millions of dollars into the local economy.

Some motel operators have fretted that news reports of the fire could scare off visitors, but most of those contacted today said they expected their rooms to be full through the weekend.