Judie Steeves
Published: August 03, 2009 10:00 AM
Updated: August 03, 2009 10:28 AM
The forest service is reporting this morning that the Terrace Mountain wildfire had minimal growth overnight, but the concern for today is the weather forecast expectation that winds will pick up.
The status of Evacuation Orders and Alerts will remain unchanged. It is estimated there are 2,500 people on Evacuation Order and another 2,200 on Alert.
Volunteers with the Emergency Social Services reception centre at Mount Boucherie Secondary School continue to provide assistance for food and lodging to evacuees.
Since the reception centre re-opened late Saturday afternoon when the Terrace Mountain wildfire kicked up again, more than 1,100 people have registered with ESS.
As the weekend has progressed, more hotel and motel rooms have become available as tourists head home from the long weekend, allowing ESS to find more accommodation for evacuated Westside residents.
Yesterday, forest firefighters had favourable weather conditions allowing them to make good progress on solidifying fire guards around the fire. So far, the fire has consumed 7,025 hectares and is about 30 per cent contained.
Helicopter and air tanker attack crews snuffed out hot spots on Saturday while the air tankers laid down 265,000 litres of fire retardant in constructing a 2.5 kilometres of fireguard.
On Saturday, the fire took off, jumping the east side fireguard and racing towards the Westside communities along the Okanagan Lake shoreline. Flames were seen within 100 metres in spots of La Casa while the fire spread into Shorts Creek canyon.
Elise Riedlinger, with the forest service Kamloops region fire centre, said the forecast higher winds could play havoc with firefighting efforts today.
"They made a lot of good progress yesterday with adding to the fireguards so hopefully that can continue today. But with higher winds forecast, a fire behaviour advisory remains in effect," she said.
The forest service is also reminding boaters to stay at least 400 metres away from the westside shoreline of all evacuated areas so that air attack equipment can have unhindered access to the lake.
Motorists are also advised that Westside Road remains closed at Baziw Orchards on the north side of the evacuation area and just south of Traders Cove. No access will be permitted.
The estimated 2,163 residents living in the following areas of Killiney and Westshore-Beau Park remain on evacuation alert and must be prepared to leave on a moment's notice:
Ewings Landing
Estamont
Summersands
Aspen Shores
Killiney Beach
Marchbank
Wainman Cove
Evely Forest Recreation Site
The status of Evacuation Orders and Alerts will remain unchanged. It is estimated there are 2,500 people on Evacuation Order and another 2,200 on Alert.
Volunteers with the Emergency Social Services reception centre at Mount Boucherie Secondary School continue to provide assistance for food and lodging to evacuees.
Since the reception centre re-opened late Saturday afternoon when the Terrace Mountain wildfire kicked up again, more than 1,100 people have registered with ESS.
As the weekend has progressed, more hotel and motel rooms have become available as tourists head home from the long weekend, allowing ESS to find more accommodation for evacuated Westside residents.
Yesterday, forest firefighters had favourable weather conditions allowing them to make good progress on solidifying fire guards around the fire. So far, the fire has consumed 7,025 hectares and is about 30 per cent contained.
Helicopter and air tanker attack crews snuffed out hot spots on Saturday while the air tankers laid down 265,000 litres of fire retardant in constructing a 2.5 kilometres of fireguard.
On Saturday, the fire took off, jumping the east side fireguard and racing towards the Westside communities along the Okanagan Lake shoreline. Flames were seen within 100 metres in spots of La Casa while the fire spread into Shorts Creek canyon.
Elise Riedlinger, with the forest service Kamloops region fire centre, said the forecast higher winds could play havoc with firefighting efforts today.
"They made a lot of good progress yesterday with adding to the fireguards so hopefully that can continue today. But with higher winds forecast, a fire behaviour advisory remains in effect," she said.
The forest service is also reminding boaters to stay at least 400 metres away from the westside shoreline of all evacuated areas so that air attack equipment can have unhindered access to the lake.
Motorists are also advised that Westside Road remains closed at Baziw Orchards on the north side of the evacuation area and just south of Traders Cove. No access will be permitted.
The estimated 2,163 residents living in the following areas of Killiney and Westshore-Beau Park remain on evacuation alert and must be prepared to leave on a moment's notice:
Ewings Landing
Estamont
Summersands
Aspen Shores
Killiney Beach
Marchbank
Wainman Cove
Evely Forest Recreation Site
********************************************************************
1 comment:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR DETAILS ON THE TERRACE MOUNTAIN FIRE! I HAVE BEEN ON THIS SINCE THE FIRE BROKE OUT AND HAVE BEEN DISMAYED AT HOW 'hushhush" ALL THE NEWS CASTS AND ONLINE NEWS LINKS HAVE BEEN ON ANYTHING REMOTELY ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE READERS.....I AM UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE LACK OF INFORAMATION AND SUSPICIOUS AS TO HOW IT WAS ACTUALLY STARTED.
THANKS ONCE AGAIN.
ALICE
Post a Comment