Burning southwest of Penticton, the Keremeos Creek fire was at 437 hectares as of Sunday night. It is classified as out of control. While 25 properties were placed under evacuation orders over the weekend, an order for hundreds more was issued Monday, this time in Apex Mountain Village. Those in the area say they should leave immediately and wait for the RCMP to help expedite the process. Dozens of other properties are on evacuation alert. The fire was discovered on Friday and officials say it has been a challenge to fight because much of the fire “is in terrain that cannot be operated to support aircraft carriers and heavy machinery.” Local fire departments, including Keremeos, Naramata and Summerland, have dispatched crews and trucks to focus on protecting structures. At least one structure has been destroyed. Over the weekend, Apex Mountain Resort used its snow cannons to spray water on its buildings and infrastructure in an effort to prevent wind-blown embers from starting a fire.
