Wind is blowing through the Okanagan Friday morning, a bad start to the day for crews fighting fires throughout the Valley.
The day, however, may get progressively worse.
Environment Canada is calling for a 40 per cent chance of showers in Kelowna Friday, but there is a risk of a thunderstorms later in the day.
This morning’s wind is rated at 20 kilometres an hour, fanning flames and smoke that’s already filling most of the Okanagan skies.
As of 7 a.m., here’s the latest information on the Valley’s three big fires, as provided by B.C. Wildfire Service:
The Mount Eneas fire
- Size: 1,000 hectares.
- Cause: Lightning.
- Evacuation order: An expanded evacuation order is in place in the vicinity of this fire.
- Status: Fire behaviour increased yesterday and structures are considered threatened. Structural protection units have been deployed to the area.
- There were gusty and erratic winds in the area overnight. Four B.C. Wildfire Service personnel were onsite overnight last night along with members of the local fire department.
- Airtankers, 57 personnel and one piece of heavy equipment are on site today. Additional resources are expected to be on site later today. They will focus their suppression efforts on increasing containment on the southern end of the fire, near Garnet Valley.
Good Creek fire
- Size: 400 hectares
- Cause: Lightning.
- Evacuation order: An alert is in effect.
- Today’s fire suppression activities will focus on the area near Lakeshore Road.
The Mount Conkle fire
- Size: 90 hectares.
- Cause: Lightning.
- The fire is highly visible, but no structures are considered threatened at this time.