Christie Mountain wildfire, Aug. 20.
Image Credit: Steve Arstad
August 22, 2020 - 5:38 PM
The Christie Mountain fire that's burning just north of Penticton is now mapped at 2,035 hectares.
In a statement released this afternoon, BC Wildfire said the fire is burning in difficult rocky sloped terrain with limited access points for ground crews and heavy equipment, which has made it difficult to track its size.
That said, progress has been made by the 200 firefighters on site, structure protection personnel and multiple fire departments.
"They will continue to build upon their progress on the southwest flank of the fire, strengthening control lines for values protection with support from 16 helicopters and six water tenders," reads the statement.
"Crews will continue to reinforce control lines at Skaha Bluff Provincial Park and looked for small burnout opportunities. They made great progress on the southwest flank of the fire building and strengthening control lines for values protection. BC Wildfire Service will continue to closely monitor trigger points throughout the day."
An increased amount of structural protection teams will remain stationed throughout the community to perform assessments and proactively triage infrastructure. This action is a precautionary measure to mitigate risk to homes in the area ahead of an approaching weather system that may cause challenging fire behaviour.
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