The Interior 亚洲天堂 has learned the Bulkley unit of BC Wildfire Northwest Fire Centre (NFC) is being deployed to a 1,400-plus hectare fire currently raging in at Christie Mountain (near Penticton).

The 20-member Bulkley Valley unit, known as the Telkwa Rangers, is currently en route to the Kamloops Fire Centre, said Carolyn Bartos, the NFC fire information officer.

The fire was discovered on Aug. 18 north of Okanagan Falls on the east side of Skaha Lake in 鈥渄ifficult rocky sloped terrain with limited access points for ground crews and heavy equipment鈥� according to the BC Wildfire Service.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Currently, there is an evacuation order in place for 300 homes in Penticton.

The NFC Firebirds unit, based out of Terrace, is also being deployed, but to the Southeast Fire Centre.

Bartos could not confirm which fire they will be battling, but there are numerous 鈥渙ut-of-control鈥� fires in the Southeast including a 25o-hectare blaze near Doctor Creek in an uninhabited wilderness area of the Kootenay Ranges.

The only fire being listed as a 鈥渇ire of note鈥� by the Wildfire Service in the Southeast Fire Centre is a 17.5-hectare blaze at Soloman Mountain in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (near the unincorporated settlement of Beaverdell), which was started by lightning.

An evacuation alert has been issued to 44 properties near that fire.

Unlike southern areas of the province that have been setting high-temperature records and experiencing drought-like conditions recently, the Northwest has been unusually cool and wet keeping wildfire risk low.

鈥淔ortunately, which therefore allows us to send our resources out because in these sorts of situations, you鈥檙e looking to cover your home base before sending out,鈥� Bartos said. 鈥淚t feels good to be able to contribute when stuff like this is happening in the province.鈥�

She added that the NFC may not be done yet and the Hazelton Rainmakers and the 亚洲天堂 Lake unit may still be called into service.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an evolving situation, so if there鈥檚 another request to send people we鈥檒l be looking to round up more people and we鈥檒l be looking to assist in any way we can in this,鈥� Bartos said.

There is only one fire burning in the northwest, a six-hectare blaze near Morice Lake (approximately 70 km southwest of Houston) which is currently being held in check by the 亚洲天堂 Lake unit.

editor@interior-news.com
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