It’s hot in the Okanagan right now. Not baking hot, but it soon will be.
So, if you’re outside complaining about the weather – Environment Canada is predicting a high of 32 C today – imagine what firefighters are going through.
By Sunday, the thermometer is expected to hit 37 C.
“A lot,” B.C. Wildfire Service information officer Noelle Kekula quickly answered when asked how much water the average firefighter drinks in a day. “We are telling them to drink at least 500 ml of water, if not more, an hour for 12 hours.”
Kekula noted that fire crews are also given Gatorade packages to keep their electrolyte levels up.
“The Glenfir and Frederick fires, all those in the old burn, there’s not a lot of shade for them; they’re on rock,” said Kekula. “It’s tough and they are exhausted at the end of the day. So, lots of water and keep their electrolytes up.”
Currently, there are seven fires burning in the Okanagan. B.C. Wildfire Service says there are 260 firefighters in the Valley, with nine assigned aircraft, though more are available if needed.
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Here is a breakdown of the seven fires, from north to south:
Law Creek
- Location: Six kilometres southwest of West Kelowna .
- Size: 15.5 hectares
- Cause: Lightning.
- Status: Under control. 25 personnel on site with one piece of heavy equipment. Air support as needed.
- BCWS notes: “Crews will seek out and extinguish any hot spots.”
Peachland Creek
- Location: 2.5 kilometres west of Peachland.
- Size: 23 hectares
- Cause: Lightning.
- Status: Classified as being held; no further growth anticipated due weather conditions and suppression tactics. Fifteen personnel and two pieces of heavy equipment.
- BCWS notes: “This fire is in very steep terrain, in particular the west flank. Today’s objectives are to continue to work on the workable sections. The whole fire has been hand-guarded and crews are working to completely extinguish hotspots burning in the ravine.”
Goode’s Creek
- Location: 21 kilometres south of Kelowna, in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park.
- Size: 577 hectares.
- Cause: Lightning.
- Status: Classified as out of control. 49 firefighters. Air support as needed.
- BCWS notes: “Crews have been working on the east flank and are now pushing to the south flank. The fire is working its way through the small drainages, hitting unburned fuels and creating columns of smoke. So we have had skimmers working last night and this morning, and just cooling the area before moving the crews into this fire.”
Mount Eneas
- Location: Four kilometres south of Peachland, immediately west of Highway 97.
- Size: 1,793 hectares.
- Cause: Lightning.
- Status: Out of control. A total of 97 firefighters, 82 of which are BCWS personnel with 15 contract crews.
- Evacuations: CORD evacuation alerts remain in effect. RDOS evacuation alerts remain in effect.
- BCWS notes: “Today’s objectives are to continue to tie the merged fires with control lines. Crews continue to build hose lines from north to south on each side of the fire. We do have night crews in both the east and west flanks, who will continue to extinguish hot spots and patrol.”
Frederick Creek
- Location: Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park.
- Size: 56 hectares.
Glenfir Road
- Location: 10 kilometres northwest of Naramata.
- Size: 32 hectares
- Cause: Lightning.
- Status: No structures threatened at this time.
- BCWS notes: “This wildfire is producing smoke as a result of fuel burning in crevices and small steep canyons.”
Mount Conkle
- Location: Near Shingle Creek Road and roughly 8 kilometres southwest of Summerland.
- Size: 118 hectares.
- Cause: Lightning.
- Status: Fire is being held; further growth not anticipated. 32 personnel on site and air support as needed.
- BCWS notes: “Objectives are to suppress the fire burning in cracks and crevices of numerous, small, steep canyons.”
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