Fires no longer threatening

Though the sky continues to be hazy, residents of the Okanagan need not worry about the Àres currently burning in the valley.

“All Àres on the west side of the lake are under control,” said Glen Burgess, manager of the Okanagan Fire Complex, on Monday afternoon.

The crews Àghting those Àres will be reduced to maximize effective time, Burgess said, and the wildÀre crew is “very comfortable” with the Àres burning there.

“We will start downsizing tomorrow,” Burgess said. 300 personnel are currently staying in the tent complex just off of Westside Road. The Àght has moved to a “long-term strategy””.

Fires burning on the east side of the lake are being given a “modiÀed response,” in which the priorities are to protect valuables and populated areas by containing the Àres.

The Goode’s Creek Fire, burning through Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park, is being allowed to grow naturally in some areas where no settlements are threatened.

Burgess expressed sympathy for those Àghting the Àres, saying temperatures on site have reached 42 degrees, and that some crews are working 1214 hour days.

There haven’t been any reported cases of heat stroke or fatigue, and workers are encouraged to jump in the lake and keep electrolytes up and during their breaks.

When asked about boats on the lake impeding fire efforts, Burgess responded that the RCMP have been helpful, but it continues to be a problem. Common sense is sometimes not as common as it should be, he said.

CATE HANLON/Special to the Westside Weekly Okanagan fire complex manager Glen Burgess says that no fires are threatening populated areas. About 300 personnel are fighting the local forest fires, but that number may start to drop this week.