The White Rock Lake wildfire that’s burning perilously close to Okanagan Lake is expected to grow in the coming days.
That’s according to a BC Wildfire spokesperson, who says current weather patterns aren’t favourable to firefighting, with temperatures expected in the mid-30s, high winds and no precipitation.
“The next three days are hot, dry, sunny weather,” said incident commander Mark Healey.
“And following up, forecasters are telling me with an unstable atmosphere, and those winds are going to be very challenging on this fire.”
The fire is currently estimated at 58,000 hectares, and has resulted in several evacuation alerts and orders along the northern shores of Okanagan Lake.
“This is a catastrophic event. This isn’t just a wildfire, this is something that is … new for everybody,” said Healey.
According to BC Wildfire, 195 firefighters are on scene, along with 119 structure protection personnel, 15 helicopters, 15 danger-tree fallers and 73 pieces of heavy equipment.
“In my 28 years, I’ve never seen forest fuels this dry,” said Healey. “The fire behaviour we are seeing out there is beyond extreme in my opinion.”
With strong winds from the north pushing the fire south, BC Wildfire has set up a fire guard along the south flank.
The fireguard starts in the Fintry Park area and extends west, with more than 50 km of machine guard.
With fire growth expected, BC Wildfire also reminded area residents and visitors to heed evacuation orders when they’re issued.
Healy says irrespective of whether people think they’re in danger or not, they sometimes don’t think of the hoses that structure protection teams lay across roads and streets, which could potentially block off escape routes.
“If the fire front does come through, we’re more worried about them than starting up our sprinklers or getting our structural defence crews in to protect their properties,” structure protection branch director Neill Moroz.
“The (fire hoses) are pressurized, so driving over them will pop them, which then takes away our protection.”
Moroz also spoke about ‘fire smarting’ properties or reducing the chances of items possibly burning near a home, then catching the residence on fire.
“We really need people who live in these areas — and it doesn’t really matter if you’re urban or rural, (wildfire) interface or intermixed — we really need to start with fire smarting properties to be effective,” said Moroz.
He said “that means keeping all those fine fuels away from your structures — not letting combustible vegetation grow right next to your property. And we’re talking five feet away is all you need.”
He also said that includes “combustible lawn furniture. Even a doormat can take out a house if it’s allowed to burn. If an ember lands on a mat, it take out a house.”
For more about the White Rock Lake wildfire, visit the BC Wildfire website.
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