Hundreds of people remain forced from their homes in the Okanagan on Thursday as crews battle an out-of-control wildfire just north of Peachland, B.C.
The Drought Hill wildfire broke out around 2 p.m. on Wednesday along Highway 97. Officials believe it was sparked by a vehicle towing a trailer.
The fire has grown to 57 hectares in size.
“The fire is still listed as ‘out-of-control, which really just means that we don’t have 100 per cent containment set up around it. However, given the success of the skimmer group and the actions of crews on the ground today, we are expecting minimal growth,” said fire information officer Taylor Stewart Shantz.
Officials with the Central Okanagan Regional District also confirmed Thursday that no homes had been lost.
As a result of that progress, officials downgraded a large portion of the evacuation orders issued to 400 properties in the Drought Hill area to an evacuation alert.
While those residents can go home, they’ve been told to remain ready to leave on a moment’s notice.
Evacuees are being told to register at either Royal Le Page Place in West Kelowna or the Peachland Community Centre. You can find up-to-date information about evacuation orders and alerts here.
Peachland Mayor Patrick Van Minsel, who was evacuated from his own home, praised crews for how quickly they attacked the fire.
“I did notice while I was evacuating my home, a lot of my neighbours were already also evacuating and going, they seemed to be all pretty calm, and there was not a lot of panic,” he told Global News.
“I’m proud of the reaction that the firefighters had. I said it could be way worse, and they were on it immediately.”
Thirty-five BC Wildfire Service personnel were working with municipal firefighters to battle the blaze on Thursday.
Firefighting efforts continued to cause major congestion and delays on Highway 97 and Highway 97-C on Thursday.
Stewart Shantz said crews had been able to take advantage of the highways as a fire break.
“Pavement doesn’t burn, and so that was what our crews were able to use really to back up to as containment lines, and then action the flanks on either side of the fire to be able to provide that additional containment and get this buttoned up,” Stewart Shantz said.
The Okanagan, along with a large swath of the B.C. Interior, remains under a heat warning on Thursday, with temperatures of up to 38 C in the forecast.
Those temperatures are expected to moderate on Friday.