The Mount Christie wildfire burning above Heritage Hills this morning, Aug.19, 2020.
(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)
August 19, 2020 - 5:51 AM
Emergency crews worked into the night as the community of Heritage Hills along the east side of Skaha Lake was evacuated due to the Mount Christie wildfire south of Penticton.
A part of southern Penticton was also subject to an evacuation alert, issued around 9:30 p.m. yesterday.
The wildfire, first reported around 2 p.m. yesterday, Aug.18, was last reported at 1,000 ha last night, but as night fell the fire’s continued spread was obvious.
The Mount Christie wildfire began spreading south into Heritage Hills subdivision last night,.
(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)
Strong, gusty evening winds took the fire in several directions, most ominously to the south where it moved down the gulley it started in and burned into the top of the Heritage Hills subdivision last night before winds eased early this morning.
A smoke plume spilling thousands of metres into the sky stopped traffic on Highway 97 as darkness fell.
Smoke from the Mount Christie wildfire billows high into the sky last night, Aug. 18, 2020.
(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)
At dusk last night the fire was within a few hundred metres of the northernmost residences in the Heritage Hills subdivision. The fire's greatest advance appeared to be south, along the top of Heritage Hills.
The Mount Christie wildfire began creeping down a gully towards the Heritage HIlls subdivision south of Penticton yesterday, Aug. 18, 2020.
(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)
B.C. Wildfire appeared to throw every available aircraft at the fire, engaging air tankers and amphibious aircraft until early evening when helicopters took their place.
The skies were crowded above Skaha Lake late yesterday, Aug. 18, 2020.
(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)
The City of Penticton activated its emergency operations centre as a proactive measure in response to the fire around 8 p.m. yesterday evening.
The fire does not appear to have made much advance to the north towards Penticton overnight.
It’s not known how the fire started. Skies were mostly clear in the area yesterday afternoon.
Fire glows within smoke above the Mount Christie wildfire yesterday, Aug. 18, 2020.
(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)
Amphibious aircraft work the Mount Christie wildfire.
(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)
The Christie Mountain fire from Skaha Hills.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Diane Monteith
The Christie Mountain wildfire around 8:30 p.m. Aug. 18, 2020.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Darbee Peragine
We invite our readers to share their photos of the fire by sending them to news@infonews.ca
Reader Shawna Burghall provided this photo of the Mount Christie wildfire.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Shawna Burghall
Reader Linda Goff provided this photo of the Mount Christie wildfire.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Linda Goff
Another image of the Mount Christie wildfire by Linda Goff.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Linda Goff
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