UPDATE: 9:33 a.m The BC Wildfire Service said crews were called out Friday night while battling the Keremeos Creek Fire. The south side, north of Ollala had some spots and outcrops. “They were able to do that and then do some hand flares to solidify their lines and stopped the fire on the rock bluff north of the village. There was no fire damage to structures overnight,” BCWS said in a statement. Saturday morning. modernize. “In the northeast, crews have been driven by winds in the area and are working to build emergency lines.” The fire is currently estimated at 5903 hectares. Along with 15 helicopters and 40 pieces of heavy equipment, there are 260 wildland firefighters working with an additional 166 structural protection personnel from fire departments across BC. for a total crew of 426 firefighters. BCWS said to expect a strong upper ridge over the area on Saturday. Plans for Saturday on the east side are to build fuel-free lines from Green Mountain Road to the McKay Creek staging area. Sprinklers will be installed behind properties on Green Mountain Road. Crews will construct lines around Hedges Butte to McKay Creek as well as construct fuelless guards and hand guards from McKay Creek to Green Mountain Road. On the west side, crews will use direct attack methods from Green Mountain Road to Keremeos Creek Forest Service Road. Heavy equipment will be used to establish emergency lines from Apex Mountain over Dividend Mountain to Keremeos South Creek. In preparation for the planned ignition, crews will continue to establish hand lines along Olalla Creek Forest Service Road. Crews have been assigned to contain the fire north of the Highway 3 corridor. Highway 3A remains closed at this time between the Highway 97 interchange at Kalenden and Keremeos. Click here for an interactive map of all properties on order and notice. Photo: BCWS Updated legend on perimeter map. The map contains evacuation orders and alerts. ORIGINAL: 4 A.M 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.
