Wind helps firefighters
Shifting winds at a critical time helped firefighters steer a fast-moving hillside blaze away from a winery and dozens of homes.
Flames were moving unchecked for a time toward the Mission Hill Winery and homes on two streets after the fire broke out about 7 p.m. Saturday.
“Our concern was that the fire was coming so fast up the hill that we didn’t want to put anybody in front of it,” West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund said Sunday.
“Once we got the wind in our favour, then it became safer to put some personnel in front of the fire,” Brolund said.
“Our success or failure a lot of times is determined by the wind.
“Last night, the wind was quite sporadic. It was very strong at times and the fire would drive ahead, and then it gave us the chance catch up to it,” Brolund said. “Eventually, the wind died down and we could get in and finally get a good knock on the fire.”
The fire came within 30 metres of a Mission Hill vineyard, and about 100 metres from the nearest homes at the end of Royal Gala Drive and Gala View Drive. The winery and people from about 50 homes were evacuated but allowed to return by 11 p.m. No homes or structures were affected.
Crews dug fireguards in the dry, rocky soil, and used a winery access road to spray water from the slope above the fire. “There was a lot of hauling material in by hand, and a lot of hard work done by hand by the firefighters,” Brolund said.
“The fires was within 100 metres of the closest home, where the firefighters made a stand and stopped the Àre, which is a little bit closer than any of us would like it to be,” Brolund said.
On Sunday morning, firefighters continued to work the burned hillside, setting up sprinklers fed from nearby hydrants.
“Our goal is to wet down the perimeter of the fire so we’re sure it’s not going to grow any, and then begin to deal wit the hot spots,” Brolund said. “The fire is in mop-up at this point.”
firefighters from West Kelowna, Kelowna and Peachland were called to the blaze Saturday night. It started near Boucherie Road, where the hillside is more heavily treed than on the upper elevations.
Investigators said the Fire appeared to have started from a trail above Boucherie Road, where there was evidence of illegal camping and a garbage dumping site. But the exact cause could not be determined.
At its peak, the fire was classed as between a Rank 2 and a Rank 3, which means it was considered “moderately vigorous” with some trees burning in their entirety. It burned about five hectares of land owned by the winery, the City of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation.
Three aircraft, a spotter plane and two air tankers were sent to the fire by the B.C. Wildfire Service, which covered about five hectares. However, no retardant or water was dropped on the fire.
“They determined there were no objectives for them,” Brolund said. “That decision was made because we were doing a good job on the ground, and because when they got here their time was very limited because of the fading light.”