The Okanagan is burning, with no less than 20 fires being reported after a thunderstorm blanketed and then torched the area with hundreds of lightning strikes on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday evening, B.C. Wildfire said it didn’t have an exact number of how many firefighters or aircraft were involved, stating the numbers were constantly changing, but it’s safe to assume it was an all-hands-on-deck kind of day.
As to why there were so many fires, Global News meteorologist Peter Quinlan posted an eye-popping tweet, saying there were more than 400 lightning strikes on Tuesday.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the B.C. Wildfire Service active wildfires map shows fires in:
West Kelowna: Carrot Mountain 1, Carrot Mountain 2, Carrot Mountain 3, Law Creek, Mount Drought.
Peachland: Peachland Creek, Munro Lake Forest Service Road, Mount Eneas.
Summerland: Mount Conkle.
Naramata: North Naramata Road and KVR Little Tunnel, both of which are north of Naramata.
Okanagan Mountain Park: There are two fires inside the park and one just outside the park boundary, with a fourth located 1.5 kilometres along the KVR off Chute Lake Road.
West of Big White: Kallis Creek, Okanagan Falls Forest Service Road.
Kaleden: Lakehill Road-Highway 97, Eastside Road.
Osoyoos: An unconfirmed fire, though Global News has received phone calls about smoke being visible. B.C.
While most fires appear to be small so far, the Mount Conkle fire near Summerland is estimated to be 50 hectares. The Mount Eneas fire is estimated at 2 hectares, as is the Munro Lake Forest Service Road fire.
Also, the Placer Mountain fire, which is 37 kilometres south of Princeton, is estimated at 50 hectares.
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