Aerial photos of the Rose Valley fire, captured from a small plane flying in from the north on Sunday evening. (Betsy Trumpener/CBC)
Fire crews are assessing the best way to fight three largely uncontrolled fires in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley on Monday, but with no rain and high temperatures forecast, nature will likely provide little help.
Environment Canada predicted temperatures in Kelowna on Monday would reach 32 C — about seven degrees warmer than Sunday's high — and 35 on Tuesday, but fortunately the winds were not forecast to be strong on Monday.
About 11,000 people were ordered out of their homes in the West Kelowna area over the weekend while another 6,000 remain on alert to leave at a moment's notice.
The most dangerous fire started Saturday afternoon in the Glenrosa area near West Kelowna and spread quickly, destroying three homes.
Dale Bojahra, a forest protection technician with the B.C. Forest Service said that fire is four square kilometres in size, but 40 per cent contained, after crews were able to get heavy machinery into one section and create a partial fireguard on Sunday.
Fire crews plan to continuing attacking that fire on the ground Monday.
Another fire near the West Kelowna area of Rose Valley is now 1.5 square kilometres in size, but fire officials said that blaze is not contained due to the rough terrain in the area.
The Forest Service said the steep terrain made it too dangerous to fight that fire from the ground, so firefighters are using helicopters and air tankers to battle the blaze.
Meanwhile, a third fire at Terrace Mountain, near Fintry, has grown to 8.5 square kilometres. The fire is not contained and has only been fought from the air, but is not a risk to homes or communities.
Road closures
Highway 97 through West Kelowna has been closed because of the fires, but an alternate path along Route 201 is open for light vehicle traffic.
Police are asking people to stay away from critical areas like the highway roadblock and portions of Okanagan Lake where air support is scooping up water to use on the fires.
A Telus official asked people to use their cellphones only if necessary, because wireless service in the area is overwhelmed. Dr. Paul Hasselback of the Interior Health Authority said air quality has also become a concern.
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1 comment:
Water lvls were crazy high early we should have had 2 months of water not being taxed.
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