An evacuation order for nearly 200 properties┬аhas been issued by the Osoyoos Indian Band in B.C.’s Okanagan┬аValley, with further evacuation alerts and orders in nearby Osoyoos and Oliver┬аpending┬аdue to an aggressive wildfire.
The wildfire тАФ dubbed the┬аInkaneep Creek wildfire┬атАФ is on┬аOsoyoos Indian Band land in between Oliver and┬аOsoyoos. It quickly grew from three┬аhectares to more than 300 hectares over the course of a few hours Monday afternoon. As of 9 p.m., it was 700 hectares.
Personnel with the B.C. Wildfire Service┬аreported “aggressive fire behaviour.”
Nearly 3,000 customers in the area had their power cut off┬аdue to the wildfire for several hours on Monday evening. FortisBC says it was a deliberate interruption in order to support┬аlocal emergency services in Oliver and Osoyoos.
The Oliver-Osoyoos region is located in the southern tip of B.C.’s fertile Okanagan Valley. It’s a popular tourist destination, famed for its wineries.┬а
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen┬аhas declared a local state of emergency.┬аMartin Johansen, the mayor of Oliver, says the town has also declared a local state of emergency.
Dawn Roberts, a spokesperson for the B.C. RCMP, says┬аmembers from both the Osoyoos and┬аOliver RCMP detachments have been deployed to conduct tactical evacuations.┬а
“There have been physical evacuations that are taking place. Members are literally going door to door and [they’re] working very closely with the Osoyoos Indian Band to make sure that we hit those areas that are most vulnerable,” Roberts said.┬а
This fire is among the hundreds of wildfires currently burning across B.C., including┬аover 100 wildfires concentrated in the interior.┬а
Residents under evacuation have been┬аscrambling to find safe accommodation тАФ an increasingly tough task.┬а
Thompson-Nicola Regional District chair Ken Gillis┬аsaid there were no accommodations left in┬аKamloops, Merritt, or Salmon Arm.
“They’re absolutely full,” he said.┬а
Ash from the Inkameep fire (45 km to the south) on my patio umbrella. The red light shining through the tree is the sun. Seems to be a vigorous fire. pic.twitter.com/V6JhegCeSa
Anyone placed under an evacuation order must leave the area immediately.┬а
Evacuation centres have been set up throughout the province to assist anyone evacuating from a community under threat from a wildfire. To find the centre closest to you, visit the┬аEmergency Management B.C.┬аwebsite.
Evacuees are encouraged to register online with┬аEmergency Support Services, whether or not they access services at an evacuation centre.
