Wildfire that prompted Evacuation Alert in Spallumcheen contained

A 4 hectare wildfire looks to be under control in the area of Hutley Road and Otter Lake Cross Road on the east side of Highway 97A north of Vernon in Spallumcheen.

So far no structures are nearby the flames but the Township of Spallumcheen will keep an Evacuation Alert overnight.

Hutley and Head roads are closed to non-residential traffic. Hutley Road South is closed to assist the fire crews working in the area.

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The Alert means homes in these areas should be ready to leave with little notice:

• Twin Firs Mobile Home Park
• Eagle Rock Mobile Home Park
• Belva’s Mobile Home Park
• Meadow Ridge Mobile Home Park
• McLennan Road
• Keddleston Road

An Emergency Operations Centre has been opened at the Municipal office at 4144 Spallumcheen Way.

A large plume of smoke was initially visible from businesses on the west side of the highway, four km north of Swan Lake.

0:55 Spallumcheen wildfire fought from the air

The highway remains open.

Spallumcheen mayor Janice Brown was monitoring the situation earlier in the evening.

“It appears that there’s a gully and then it’s going southeast down towards Silver Star, Vernon, that direction,” Brown said. “There are no homes up there.”

The nearest home is more than two km away.

“It doesn’t appear to be coming over the crest towards the highway,” Brown said. “It appears to be going deeper into the bush.”

“Every once in a while we see a black plume of smoke, and I can see the big orange flames but because it appears to be down behind the mound of the mountain, and we’re assuming it is worse than we can see, all the retardant seems to be going to the back side of the fire.”

The response includes the Coldstream, BX and Spallumcheen fire departments as well as the B.C. Wildfire Service.

“We’ve got a helicopter with a bucket. We’ve got a plane with retardant,” Brown said.

The mayor remains optimistic the fire will be contained.

“Everybody was ready, I’m going to say ready for this.”

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An alert means residents should be prepared to leave on very short notice and be ready to move pets and livestock to a safe area.