There are 166 structural protection officers from fire departments throughout BC. responding to the Keremeos Creek Fire on Friday, as more than 540 properties in rural Keremeos, Apex and Olalla remain under evacuation orders. Another 1,050 properties in the area are on alert. An update Friday afternoon listed the fire at nearly 6,000 hectares and had closed Highway 3A. The BC Wildfire Service sent out a post Friday night to specifically thank the Structure Protection Branch, which “has played an integral role in defending properties in close proximity to the fire.” The fire crews are assisted in their work by 21 fire engines, 15 water tankers and an engineer. These teams are a combination of over 35 fire departments, according to BCWS, as well as many individual resources that have provided assistance in fighting this fire. “The BC Wildfire Service recognizes and values the long-standing collaborative relationship with the structural firefighting community,” they wrote. The fire broke out on Friday, July 29 and has so far resulted in the loss of one home.
