200 personnel still on scene
While the Christie Mountain wildfire south of Penticton is not expected to spread any further, there were still nearly 200 personnel at the scene Monday who don’t need hikers and bikers getting in their way.
The fire was reported Aug. 18 and is listed as being held at 2,123 hectares by the BC Wildfire Service, which now suspects the blaze was caused by lightning.
The service said in an update Monday it had 176 personnel and eight helicopters on the scene.
“In the northern part of the fire, specialized rappel firefighters have been building access to inaccessible areas and actioning them. Other crews are patrolling and (demobilizing) the northeast corner and mopping up between helipads in the Matheson Creek area. Hot spots are also being actioned along Gillies Creek,” explained the update.
“In the south, firefighters will continue to patrol the area around the Christie Mountain Lane, Apple Court to Matheson Drive areas. They are also seeking hotspots to the south of this area and building a hand guard from Derenzy Forest Service Road through Derenzy Creek. Control lines are being built and secured between helipads, as well towards the north portion of the fire. Crews are patrolling for hot spots along the east flank where the burn is patchy.”
Another area of focus involves lighting fires to burn off pockets of fuel on the east flank of the fire.
“This is done to reduce fire behaviour and to bring the fire to more accessible ground for crews to solidify control of the fire. Residents will continue to see smoke in the vicinity of the fire as a result of this activity,” the statement added.
The service also noted an increase in people trying to access the area for recreational purposes, and reminded the public about an area restriction that remains in place around the fire.
The restriction, which is currently authorized to run through Oct. 15, spans from approximately McLean Creek in the south to Ellis Creek in the north, and covers Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park.
At the height of fire activity, there were 319 properties under an evacuation order in the Heritage Hills area, while another 3,700 properties within the City of Penticton were under an evacuation alert. All of the orders and alerts were rescinded last week.