A wildfire about 50-hectares in size is burning near Okanagan Falls Sunday afternoon. A dozen homes are on evacuation alert.

Image Credit: Source/BC Wildfire

UPDATE: 9:01 p.m., July 29, 2013

PENTICTON - The evacuation alert for Willowbrook and Yellowbrick Road properties in the White Lake area has ended.

A 70-hectare wildfire, now 100 per cent contained, prompted the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen to issue the alert. This affected property owners at 3566, 3639, 3749, 3775 and 4351 Willowbrook Rd and residents at 192, 131, 137, 132, 145, 144 and 138 Yellowbrick Rd.

An evacuation alert might be re-issued if necessary, emergency operations director Mark Woods said.

For more information call 250-492-0237.

UPDATE: 3:10 p.m., July 29, 2013

PENTICTON - A 70 hectare wildfire in the White Lake area is now 100 per cent contained, B.C. Wildfire reports.

Evacuation alerts remain in place for 12 properties on Willowbrook and Yellowbrick Roads while the fire continues to burn in grass, sagebrush and open timber. The fire grew quickly Sunday evening but fire activity has since quieted.

A fire guard has been established around the perimeter and the 42 firefighters on site will be working on extinguishing hot spots within the perimeter. Three helicopters are also on scene.

UPDATE 7:45 a.m., July 29, 2013

A fire in the White Lake area that spread to 70 hectares quickly Sunday is now 70 per cent contained. 

Fire information officer Melissa Welsh says fire activity calmed down overnight but a lot of smoke remains in the centre of the fire as well as hot spots around the perimeter where crews are working to secure a guard around the fire. Overnight 30 wildfire firefighters remained on site while the Willowbrook Volunteer Fire Department patrolled White Lake Road to ensure the fire did not encroach on the natural guard.

The nearest structures are currently about one kilometre from the fire and evacuation alerts remain in place. 

UPDATE 9:04 p.m., July 28, 2013: The White Lake Road fire is now 70 hectares in size with winds up to 25 kilometres per hour.

There are 36 firefighters now battling the blaze from the Oliver, Kaleden and Willowbrook fire departments who are trying to establish control lines. This fire is suspected to be human-caused

A near-50 hectare wildfire is burning near Okanagan Falls prompting an evacuation alert for 12 homes.

The fire was reported around 3:30 p.m. and is moving quickly and aggressively, Welsh said. It is roughly five kilometres south-west of Okanagan Falls near the White Lake Road area. There are 31 firefighters, three helicopters and three groups of air-tankers hitting the blaze at this time.

Willowbrook Road properties 3566, 3639, 3749, 3775 and 4351 as well as Yellowbrick Road properties at 192, 131, 137, 132, 145, 144 and 138 were put under an evacuation alert. This means residents have been asked to leave and should be ready to go if necessary. It is not an evacuation order where residents would be required to leave.

To contact a reporter for this story, to send photos or videos, email Shannon Quesnel at squesnel@infotelnews.ca, call 250-488-3065 or tweet @shannonquesnel1

News from © iNFOnews, 2013