Emergency declared in Keremeos, Cawston
Snowy Mountain wildfire burns toward towns
A state of emergency was declared for the Keremeos and Cawston area due to the Snowy Mountain wildfire Friday.
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen ordered the state of emergency and the evacuation of three properties on Chopaka Road in the vicinity of Chopaka Bridge.
Five homes on Lower Similkameen Indian Band lands were evacuated Thursday.
More than 800 homes in Keremeos and Cawston are on evacuation alert. The RDOS urged ranchers to start relocating cattle and livestock.
The Snowy Mountain wildfire, which was started by lightning, has grown to 10,500 hectares. High winds fanned the flames, which made their way down to the bottom of the hillside in areas between Keremeos and Cawston Thursday night.
On Friday, firefighters were burning off any remaining fuel on the east flank. The BC Wildfire Service is hoping a drop in temperatures, from the mid-30s C earlier this week to the 20s C this weekend, will help.
A total of 446 wildfires were burning across the province Friday afternoon.
One of the latest problem areas is in the North Okanagan. The BC Wildfire Service warned Thursday of two area restrictions in the Vernon fire zone. One is around the Sugar Mountain fire, including the Sugar Creek recreation site. The second area restriction is around the Mabel Creek fire, along the east edge of Mabel Lake and from the Tsuius Creek drainage to the Devil Creek drainage, including the Cottonwood Beach recreation site.
Little has changed in regard to the Goode’s Creek fire in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park. It is still classified as out of control, and is estimated at 1,370 hectares in size.
Nevertheless, the BC Wildfire Service is optimistic.
“We expect to be out of here by Monday,” said fire information officer Ellie Dupont. “There is still crew patrolling at Goode’s Creek, Mount Eneas and Mount Conkle.”
A small amount of rain Friday morning — between one and two millimetres — had little effect on the fire danger in the Valley.
Firefighters are getting some outside help in battling wildfires across the province.
The BC Wildfire Service says more than 180 firefighters and support staff from Saskatchewan, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico will arrive in the province over the next week.
They will join 20 firefighters from Alberta and 15 from the Northwest Territories who have been in the province since Thursday helping battle wildfires.