Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

Rain across B.C. Interior aids wildfire fight in Okanagan, Shuswap and Fraser Canyon

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 31 Aug, 2023 09:41 AM
  • Rain across B.C. Interior aids wildfire fight in Okanagan, Shuswap and Fraser Canyon

Widespread rain in the forecast today throughout much of British Columbia's southern Interior is expected to aid firefighters pushing back against a number of major wildfires in the region.

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District says while cooler weather brought winds that may increase fire behaviour at the Bush Creek East blaze near Chase, the rain is "creating conditions for firefighters to increase their attack" on the fire now measuring 431 square kilometres.

Environment Canada weather radar showed light-to-medium precipitation was falling this morning from Merritt to Salmon Arm, stretching over parts of the Fraser Canyon, Central Okanagan and Shuswap regions.

Forecasts call for showers to continue until at least noon for communities including Kelowna, Lytton and Salmon Arm, all adjacent to major wildfires that have forced evacuation orders.

The cool, wet weather has already tempered blazes such as McDougall Creek in the Central Okanagan, Ross Moore Lake south of Kamloops and the Kookipi Creek fire near Lytton.

Officials in both the Thompson-Nicola and the Fraser Valley regional districts downgraded a number of evacuation orders linked to the Kookipi Creek wildfire to alerts yesterday, with the BC Wildfire Service saying some parts of the fire received up to 16 millimetres of rain.

Evacuation orders were also downgraded to alerts in the Bear Creek Road area of West Kelowna in relations to the McDougall Creek fire, as well as in Turtle Valley in the Thompson-Nicola region close to the Bush Creek East blaze.

In addition, previous alerts for residents to be prepared for evacuation on short notice have been outright cancelled in parts of Westbank First Nation and the Boucherie Industrial Area in the Central Okanagan.

The BC Wildfire Service website shows 422 active fires across the province, with 195 burning out of control and 12 listed as "fires of note" due to their high visibility or potential threat to the public.

This year's record wildfire season has already burned 19,111 square kilometres of land in B.C., with 72 per cent of the more than 2,000 fires recorded so far being triggered by lightning.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Cyberattack on B.C. health websites may have taken personal information

Cyberattack on B.C. health websites may have taken personal information
A cyberattack on three websites hosted by the Health Employers Association of British Columbia may have seized personal information associated with 240,000 email addresses. Michael McMillian, CEO of the association, says information obtained could include social insurance numbers, home addresses, passport and licence details and other personal data. 

Cyberattack on B.C. health websites may have taken personal information

Poilievre says Canada's immigration system is broken, sidesteps target cut questions

Poilievre says Canada's immigration system is broken, sidesteps target cut questions
Pierre Poilievre says Canada's immigration system is broken, but the Conservative leader is sidestepping questions about whether he would change current targets. Appearing before reporters on Parliament Hill, Poilievre criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent comments on housing and pledged to speed up entry for immigrants skilled in the building trades. 

Poilievre says Canada's immigration system is broken, sidesteps target cut questions

All news in Canada will be removed from Facebook, Instagram within weeks: Meta

All news in Canada will be removed from Facebook, Instagram within weeks: Meta
Meta says it is officially moving to end news access for Canadians on its Facebook and Instagram platforms. The company says it is removing news for all Canadian users over the course of the next few weeks.

All news in Canada will be removed from Facebook, Instagram within weeks: Meta

As Singh tours Atlantic Canada, New Democrats look to flip Liberal seats

As Singh tours Atlantic Canada, New Democrats look to flip Liberal seats
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is touring Atlantic Canada in an effort to highlight affordability issues — and flip two Liberal seats in the next federal election. Singh says voters who are increasingly struggling with the cost of living are dissatisfied with the federal government.

As Singh tours Atlantic Canada, New Democrats look to flip Liberal seats

Residents of Osoyoos, B.C., heading home after harrowing fire fight

Residents of Osoyoos, B.C., heading home after harrowing fire fight
BC Wildfire Service spokeswoman Shaelee Stearns says the reins in the fight against the Eagle Bluff fire are being transitioned to a new management team that will be in constant contact with U.S. counterparts. The fire has scorched more than 14 square kilometres on the B.C. side of the border and 40 square kilometres on the U.S side, where it has destroyed several structures.

Residents of Osoyoos, B.C., heading home after harrowing fire fight

Family of man who died in plane crash, along with five others, remembered as loving

Family of man who died in plane crash, along with five others, remembered as loving
Kirk Mealey was one of the six people aboard a small private plane that took off from Springbank Airport, west of Calgary, on Friday night and was headed to Salmon Arm, B.C. A family statement says Mealey's wife is expecting their son to be born late in August.

Family of man who died in plane crash, along with five others, remembered as loving