An evacuation order for nearly 200 properties has been issued by the Osoyoos Indian Band in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley, with further evacuation alerts and orders in nearby Osoyoos and Oliver pending due to an aggressive wildfire.
The wildfire — dubbed the Inkaneep Creek wildfire — is on Osoyoos Indian Band land in between Oliver and Osoyoos. It quickly grew from three hectares 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 reported “aggressive fire behaviour.”
Nearly 3,000 customers in the area had their power cut off due to the wildfire for several hours on Monday evening. FortisBC says it was a deliberate interruption in order to support local 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.
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has declared a local state of emergency. Martin 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 members from both the Osoyoos and Oliver RCMP detachments have been deployed to conduct tactical evacuations.
“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.
This fire is among the hundreds of wildfires currently burning across B.C., including over 100 wildfires concentrated in the interior.
Residents under evacuation have been scrambling to find safe accommodation — an increasingly tough task.
Thompson-Nicola Regional District chair Ken Gillis said there were no accommodations left in Kamloops, Merritt, or Salmon Arm.
“They’re absolutely full,” he said.
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.
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 Emergency Management B.C. website.
Evacuees are encouraged to register online with Emergency Support Services, whether or not they access services at an evacuation centre.