Friday, March 29, 2024
ADVT 
National

More Crews Sent To B.C.'s Southern Okanagan Wildfire As Weather Shift Possible

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Aug, 2019 07:11 PM

    VANCOUVER - A stubborn wildfire in British Columbia's southern Okanagan has now charred an estimated 12.5-square kilometres of trees and bush near the community of Oliver and fire crews are working against time as bad weather looms.

     

    BC Wildfire Service information officer Nicole Bonnett says additional crews are arriving, in part to respond to "potential forecasted weather events," and also to help carry out other firefighting duties.

     

    The added staff bolsters a crew of 100 that has been working around the clock on the blaze which broke out Sunday.

     

    The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen expanded its evacuation alert Wednesday night, adding another 41 properties to the 206 placed on alert one day after the fire was spotted.

     

    An evacuation alert posted by the Osoyoos Indian Band also covers the Okanagan Correctional Centre on reserve land north of Oliver.

     

    No homes or outbuildings have been affected in any of the properties under alert, but a spokeswoman for the Public Safety Ministry says an evacuation plan for the roughly 200 inmates at the jail is in place.

     

    Bonnett says if conditions are favourable, trees and bush ahead of the west flank of the fire will be deliberately burned Thursday to prevent flames from moving in that direction.

     

    A similar burn on the same fire flank was successfully conducted Wednesday.

     

    Environment Canada is continuing a special air quality statement for the south Okanagan region, saying smoke from the wildfire will blanket Penticton, Oliver, Summerland, Naramata and Osoyoos for at least the next 12 to 24 hours.

     

    Special weather statements also remain posted for much of the southern and southeastern Interior, calling for unseasonably high temperatures and little chance of rain until the weekend.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Canadian Food Supplies At Risk If Climate Change Not Slowed, New UN Report Shows

    Canadian Food Supplies At Risk If Climate Change Not Slowed, New UN Report Shows
    OTTAWA - Canada will not be spared the impact of food shortages and price shocks if global warming is not kept below 2 degrees Celsius, a new report suggests.

    Canadian Food Supplies At Risk If Climate Change Not Slowed, New UN Report Shows

    Northern Manitoba Community Searching For Answers After Massive Manhunt Ends

    The deputy mayor of a northern Manitoba community at the centre of a massive manhunt says it will be a long time before things return to normal.

    Northern Manitoba Community Searching For Answers After Massive Manhunt Ends

    Munk Leaders' Debate Proposed For Oct. 1

    The Munk Debates launched a website today inviting Canadians to write to the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP and Greens to urge their leaders to participate in a debate in Toronto on Oct. 1.

    Munk Leaders' Debate Proposed For Oct. 1

    B.C. Homicides: Hunt For Fugitives Ends As Bodies Of Kam McLeod And Bryer Schmegelsky Found, Claim RCMP

    Police in Manitoba believe they have found the bodies of the two B.C. fugitives, Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky, in northern Manitoba.

    B.C. Homicides: Hunt For Fugitives Ends As Bodies Of Kam McLeod And Bryer Schmegelsky Found, Claim RCMP

    Congressional Resolution Honoring Guru Nanak’s 550th Gurpurab and Sikhs in U.S. Society

    Congressional Resolution Honoring Guru Nanak’s 550th Gurpurab and Sikhs in U.S. Society
    The Sikh Coalition, the nation’s largest Sikh civil rights organization, endorsed Congressman Cox’s resolution and is grateful for his leadership.

    Congressional Resolution Honoring Guru Nanak’s 550th Gurpurab and Sikhs in U.S. Society

    Oka Calls For Moratorium On Land Transfer And Seeks Rcmp Presence In Kanesatake

    It is also asking for an RCMP detachment to police the Mohawk community.

    Oka Calls For Moratorium On Land Transfer And Seeks Rcmp Presence In Kanesatake

    PrevNext