UPDATE: 3:20 p.m The fight against the Keremeos Creek Fire is far from over as crews are working around the clock to battle both the fire and the weather while protecting local homes. The fire broke out on Friday, July 29 and has so far resulted in the loss of one home. As of Thursday, August 4, 407 properties southwest of Penticton are under an evacuation order and hundreds more are under evacuation alert. The properties are all located in either Electoral Area G, rural Keremeos or Electoral Area I, rural Kaleden/Apex, within the Okanagan Similkameen Regional District. RDOS Area G manager Tim Roberts said on Thursday his constituents were concerned about the highly visible fire. “The concern of course is with the embers and the debris that falls,” Roberts said. “People are very concerned about their route to safety, and how quickly they will know, if and when, during business needs, that Highway 3 is closing, whether they’re headed to Penticton or not. head south, the seven kilometers to Keremeos”. An evacuation center has been set up in Penticton at Princess Margaret Secondary School for anyone eligible to access Emergency Support Services. There is currently no plan to have an evacuation center in Keremeo, according to RDOS CAO Bill Newell. BC Wildfire crews are doing everything they can to keep as many properties as safe as possible, and while cooler temperatures have helped, the weather forecast shows wind coming. “It’s still an uncontrolled fire. Very much an interface fire when you look at the fire and where the residences are and where the ranches are,” BCWS incident commander Brian Zandberg explained Thursday. “Yesterday afternoon it was launched [on the] west side of Cedar Creek … Then we had some 30 mph winds pushing it down toward some of the homes and ranches in the Cedar Creek area and again right over Olalla. It made everyone jump, I’ll say that much.” He said it had been “a bit of a battle” to protect all the homes in the area, but no other structures had been lost since an outlying home was destroyed last weekend. As of Thursday afternoon, a total of 175 wildland firefighters have been assigned to this fire and are working with an additional 170 structural protection personnel from fire departments across B.C. for a combined crew of 345 firefighters. Containment operations are underway on all forward edges of the fire. About 200 acres of controlled burns have already been conducted, with the distinct possibility of more to come, conditions permitting. “The big concern is the cold front that’s coming in with these winds. That’s really helping us determine that we really need to buckle down all the areas where we’re operating,” Zandberg said. “We’re just seeing that the winds are just variable depending on where on the fire you are and depending on the time of day. So there’s a very localized wind effect driving this fire to different corners and pockets and we’re seeing that now since then that we reached the fire”. Zandberg said they expect a warming and drying trend to move into the weekend, with little rain. “I mean, I felt like a couple falls out there today, but it’s nothing. So yes, everything [those] things are over the top at the moment.” The wildfire is estimated at 4,250 hectares as of Thursday, but BCWS notes that could change when more accurate mapping is possible. For anyone wondering about the evacuation order or alert status or looking for resources, check out the RDOS interactive map online here. To contact the Emergency Operations Center for fire support, call 250-490-4225. For immediate emergencies, call 911. UPDATE: 2 p.m The Okanagan Similkameen Regional District along with the BC Wildfire Service are hosting a live update on the Keremeos Creek Fire at 2 p.m. Thursday. Watch the stream above. Casey Richardson UPDATE: 12:50 p.m More evacuation orders have been announced in connection with the Keremeos creek fire. Another 40+ properties along Highway 3A, west to Olalla and south of Olalla, are now under order, including Sagewood (aka Ridgeview) and Olalla parks. Residents must leave immediately. Find information about all the resources available through the Okanagan Similkameen Regional District, including an interactive map of all evacuation notices and orders, online here or call 250-486-1890 for assistance. If you need help with transportation, call 250-490-4225. Anyone concerned about the evacuation of pets or livestock can contact ALERT for assistance at 250-809-7152. Members of the RCMP and other relevant agencies will be going door to door to help expedite the evacuation. A total of 175 wildland firefighters have been assigned to this fire working with an additional 170 structural protection personnel from fire departments across BC. for a combined crew of 345 firefighters. Photo: RDOS. List of new properties under eviction as of Thursday afternoon. UPDATE: 12 p.m A smoky sky advisory has been issued for the South Okanagan due to the Keremeos Creek Fire. Activity increased overnight near Olalla on Highway 3A and smoke is very heavy in that area. The Okanagan Similkameen Regional District and the BC Wildfire Service will host a live update at 2 p.m., which will be in this story at that time. For information on how to deal with smoke and who could be particularly vulnerable to adverse health effects, click here. UPDATE: 11:30 a.m Castanet reporter Casey Richardson is live on the scene with a look at the Keremeos Creek fire from Olalla. Photo: BCWS UPDATE: 10:15 a.m An updated map for the Keremeos Creek Fire is expected Thursday morning. The estimated size of 4,250 hectares does not account for overnight fire growth. A new perimeter map is expected soon. “Overnight, downslope winds in excess of 30 km/h drove the fire downhill along Hwy 3A south toward Olalla. Currently, the fire remains within evacuation order boundaries,” a update from BCWS. “Crews worked through the night to defend structures around the Cedar Creek drainage and contained fire on the west side of Highway 3A. Crews reported Class 4 fire behavior overnight.” Wind and slope continue to be the largest contributors to fire behavior. Olalla Creek Forest Service Road is closed until further notice. UPDATE: 9:20 a.m The Keremeos Creek fire located 21 kilometers southwest of Penticton is still estimated at 4,2500 hectares as of Thursday morning, according to the latest information from the BC Wildfire Service. “Today, crews will reinforce containment lines along Hwy 3A to Sheep Creek Staging as conditions permit. This will include burning using drip torches to address any remaining unburned fuel,” reads an update from BCWS. “Crews are constructing line from Hwy 3A continuing the restriction using Cedar Creek FSR on the east side to the north.” The fire status is listed as “Active”, no longer “Out of Control”. Evacuation orders for 324 properties and notices for hundreds more remain in effect. Stay updated on evacuation orders and alerts online here. “Crews were challenged yesterday in the Northeast, but are making good progress and focusing their efforts on any areas that would be beneficial in protecting homes and infrastructure,” BCWS says. Intermittent closures on Highway 3A were necessary Wednesday and overnight to accommodate crews working on scheduled flares. The highway is now open, but BCWS reminds travelers to check DriveBC for the latest. ORIGINAL: 6:30 am Freeway closures were back in effect on the Keremeos Creek Fire overnight. DriveBC reported two closures on Highway 3A, east of Keremeos. The first was between Upper Bench Road and Twin Lakes Road in a stretch 18.7 kilometers east of the Similkameen Valley community. The second was between Main Street and Stagecoach Road. However, the closures were cleared by 6am. DriveBC advises commercial trucks not to use Highway 3A between Keremeos and Highway 97, as there are limited turning locations along the route. He advised them to use Highway 3. Hedley-Nickleplate Road between Highway 3 and Nickleplate Mine and Green Mountain Road between Apex Mountain Road and Highway 3A remain closed due to the fire. Meanwhile, the fire was burning 4,250 hectares as of Wednesday afternoon. The BC Wildfire Service expects more growth as this fire burns in more inaccessible areas. Aerial flares were conducted in the Yellow Lake/Sheep Creek area on Wednesday, supported by ground crews. The target area was approximately 200 hectares in size and the activity was expected to be visible from both Keremeos and Kaleden. Crews were challenged Tuesday in the Northeast, but are making good progress and focusing their efforts on areas beneficial to protecting homes and infrastructure, BCWS said. On Wednesday, crews were constructing a containment line from Highway 3A, using Cedar Creek Forest Service Road on the east side, to the north. Crews will continue to burn from the highway along the north end of Yellow Lake to Sheep Creek Road. From Sheep Creek Road on the north side, crews will continue to construct control lines. Additional crews are establishing control lines from Green Mtn Road, working west and preparing Cedar Creek Road for potential burn operations. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to drop nearly 10 degrees across the region, from the low 30s recorded on Wednesday to expected highs of no more than 23C today and Friday. A total of 479 properties, including the Apex Resort, remain evacuated, while residents of another 324 properties in the area are being evacuated…
title: " It S Still An Out Of Control Fire Keremeos Creek Fire Prompts Dozens More Evacuation Orders Near Olalla Penticton News " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-06” author: “Nelson Thompson”
UPDATE: 3:20 p.m The fight against the Keremeos Creek Fire is far from over as crews are working around the clock to battle both the fire and the weather while protecting local homes. The fire broke out on Friday, July 29 and has so far resulted in the loss of one home. As of Thursday, August 4, 407 properties southwest of Penticton are under an evacuation order and hundreds more are under evacuation alert. The properties are all located in either Electoral Area G, rural Keremeos or Electoral Area I, rural Kaleden/Apex, within the Okanagan Similkameen Regional District. RDOS Area G manager Tim Roberts said on Thursday his constituents were concerned about the highly visible fire. “The concern of course is with the embers and the debris that falls,” Roberts said. “People are very concerned about their route to safety, whether or not they’re going to know, if and when, during business needs, that Highway 3A is closing, whether they’re heading to Penticton or not. head south, the seven kilometers to Keremeos”. An evacuation center has been set up in Penticton at Princess Margaret Secondary School for anyone eligible to access Emergency Support Services. There is currently no plan to have an evacuation center in Keremeo, according to RDOS CAO Bill Newell. BC Wildfire crews are doing everything they can to keep as many properties as safe as possible, and while cooler temperatures have helped, the weather forecast shows wind coming. “It’s still an uncontrolled fire. Very much an interface fire when you look at the fire and where the residences are and where the ranches are,” BCWS incident commander Brian Zandberg explained Thursday. “Yesterday afternoon it was launched [on the] west side of Cedar Creek … Then we had some 30 mph winds pushing it down toward some of the homes and ranches in the Cedar Creek area and again right over Olalla. It made everyone jump, I’ll say that much.” He said it had been “a bit of a battle” to protect all the homes in the area, but no other structures had been lost since an outlying home was destroyed last weekend. As of Thursday afternoon, a total of 175 wildland firefighters have been assigned to this fire and are working with an additional 170 structural protection personnel from fire departments across B.C. for a combined crew of 345 firefighters. Containment operations are underway on all forward edges of the fire. About 200 acres of controlled burns have already been conducted, with the distinct possibility of more to come, conditions permitting. “The big concern is the cold front that’s coming in with these winds. That’s really helping us determine that we really need to buckle down all the areas where we’re operating,” Zandberg said. “We’re just seeing that the winds are just variable depending on where on the fire you are and depending on the time of day. So there’s a very localized wind effect driving this fire to different corners and pockets and we’re seeing that now since then that we reached the fire”. Zandberg said they expect a warming and drying trend to move into the weekend, with little rain. “I mean, I felt like a couple falls out there today, but it’s nothing. So yes, everything [those] things are over the top at the moment.” The wildfire is estimated at 4,250 hectares as of Thursday, but BCWS notes that could change when more accurate mapping is possible. For anyone wondering about the evacuation order or alert status or looking for resources, check out the RDOS interactive map online here. To contact the Emergency Operations Center for fire support, call 250-490-4225. For immediate emergencies, call 911. UPDATE: 2 p.m The Okanagan Similkameen Regional District along with the BC Wildfire Service are hosting a live update on the Keremeos Creek Fire at 2 p.m. Thursday. Watch the stream above. Casey Richardson UPDATE: 12:50 p.m More evacuation orders have been announced in connection with the Keremeos creek fire. Another 40+ properties along Highway 3A, west to Olalla and south of Olalla, are now under order, including Sagewood (aka Ridgeview) and Olalla parks. Residents must leave immediately. Find information about all the resources available through the Okanagan Similkameen Regional District, including an interactive map of all evacuation notices and orders, online here or call 250-486-1890 for assistance. If you need help with transportation, call 250-490-4225. Anyone concerned about the evacuation of pets or livestock can contact ALERT for assistance at 250-809-7152. Members of the RCMP and other relevant agencies will be going door to door to help expedite the evacuation. A total of 175 wildland firefighters have been assigned to this fire working with an additional 170 structural protection personnel from fire departments across BC. for a combined crew of 345 firefighters. Photo: RDOS. List of new properties under eviction as of Thursday afternoon. UPDATE: 12 p.m A smoky sky advisory has been issued for the South Okanagan due to the Keremeos Creek Fire. Activity increased overnight near Olalla on Highway 3A and smoke is very heavy in that area. The Okanagan Similkameen Regional District and the BC Wildfire Service will host a live update at 2 p.m., which will be in this story at that time. For information on how to deal with smoke and who could be particularly vulnerable to adverse health effects, click here. UPDATE: 11:30 a.m Castanet reporter Casey Richardson is live on the scene with a look at the Keremeos Creek fire from Olalla. Photo: BCWS UPDATE: 10:15 a.m An updated map for the Keremeos Creek Fire is expected Thursday morning. The estimated size of 4,250 hectares does not account for overnight fire growth. A new perimeter map is expected soon. “Overnight, downslope winds in excess of 30 km/h drove the fire downhill along Hwy 3A south toward Olalla. Currently, the fire remains within evacuation order boundaries,” a update from BCWS. “Crews worked through the night to defend structures around the Cedar Creek drainage and contained fire on the west side of Highway 3A. Crews reported Class 4 fire behavior overnight.” Wind and slope continue to be the largest contributors to fire behavior. Olalla Creek Forest Service Road is closed until further notice. UPDATE: 9:20 a.m The Keremeos Creek fire located 21 kilometers southwest of Penticton is still estimated at 4,2500 hectares as of Thursday morning, according to the latest information from the BC Wildfire Service. “Today, crews will reinforce containment lines along Hwy 3A to Sheep Creek Staging as conditions permit. This will include burning using drip torches to address any remaining unburned fuel,” reads an update from BCWS. “Crews are constructing line from Hwy 3A continuing the restriction using Cedar Creek FSR on the east side to the north.” The fire status is listed as “Active”, no longer “Out of Control”. Evacuation orders for 324 properties and notices for hundreds more remain in effect. Stay updated on evacuation orders and alerts online here. “Crews were challenged yesterday in the Northeast, but are making good progress and focusing their efforts on any areas that would be beneficial in protecting homes and infrastructure,” BCWS says. Intermittent closures on Highway 3A were necessary Wednesday and overnight to accommodate crews working on scheduled flares. The highway is now open, but BCWS reminds travelers to check DriveBC for the latest. ORIGINAL: 6:30 am Freeway closures were back in effect on the Keremeos Creek Fire overnight. DriveBC reported two closures on Highway 3A, east of Keremeos. The first was between Upper Bench Road and Twin Lakes Road in a stretch 18.7 kilometers east of the Similkameen Valley community. The second was between Main Street and Stagecoach Road. However, the closures were cleared by 6am. DriveBC advises commercial trucks not to use Highway 3A between Keremeos and Highway 97, as there are limited turning locations along the route. He advised them to use Highway 3. Hedley-Nickleplate Road between Highway 3 and Nickleplate Mine and Green Mountain Road between Apex Mountain Road and Highway 3A remain closed due to the fire. Meanwhile, the fire was burning 4,250 hectares as of Wednesday afternoon. The BC Wildfire Service expects more growth as this fire burns in more inaccessible areas. Aerial flares were conducted in the Yellow Lake/Sheep Creek area on Wednesday, supported by ground crews. The target area was approximately 200 hectares in size and the activity was expected to be visible from both Keremeos and Kaleden. Crews were challenged Tuesday in the Northeast, but are making good progress and focusing their efforts on areas beneficial to protecting homes and infrastructure, BCWS said. On Wednesday, crews were constructing a containment line from Highway 3A, using Cedar Creek Forest Service Road on the east side, to the north. Crews will continue to burn from the highway along the north end of Yellow Lake to Sheep Creek Road. From Sheep Creek Road on the north side, crews will continue to construct control lines. Additional crews are establishing control lines from Green Mtn Road, working west and preparing Cedar Creek Road for potential burn operations. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures to drop nearly 10 degrees across the region, from the low 30s recorded on Wednesday to expected highs of no more than 23C today and Friday. A total of 479 properties, including the Apex Resort, remain evacuated, while residents of another 324 properties in the area are being evacuated…
