Nearby trees have ignited and homes in the area are being evacuated as the flames move toward them.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/with permission Tara Guymer
June 26, 2021 - 1:00 PM
A Peachland house fire that started at around noon Saturday is now mapped at 0.9 hectares and is being held by firefighters.
The fire, which started at a house on Maranatha Drive off of Princeton Avenue, was being fuelled by the wind into some fairly heavily treed areas, a witness said. B.C. Wildfire said the fire was originally mapped at two hectares this afternoon, and then 0.5 hectares.
"When a fire is first starting and everything is kind of chaos, it takes a moment for our crews to be able to actually assess the size of it, so that's just a more accurate track of the actual size. So yeah, it's 0.9 hectares, being held," said Maddison Smith, a BC Wildfire Information Officer.
Nearby trees had ignited and residents of homes in the area are on alert as the flames move toward them. Neighbours reported early on that police had gone door to door evacuating people on the street and warning people to be ready to leave. This is happening as the fire gets hit from all angles.
BC Wildfire was assisting local fire departments, and had 31 personnel responding, Smith said.
It's a sizeable response from the provincial fire service, and Smith said that's because there are houses so nearby to trees that have been ignited.
"We’re trying to get it quickly," she said. "There's one helicopter and an air tanker actioning it."
West Kelowna fire crews were also called in to help as soon as Peachland fire crews made it on scene and realized the extent of the fire. The city of Kelowna also sent a bush truck.
A post to Facebook indicates the residents got out safely, but a cat perished in the fire.
As of 3:30 p.m., the Emergency Operations Centre has been activated to support BC Wildfire Service, West Kelowna, Kelowna and Joe Rich fire crews fighting the Peachland Maranatha Fire in Peachland.
All properties on Maranatha Drive were tactically evacuated by the RCMP and evacuated residents are taking shelter at the Peachland Community Centre under the care of ESS Volunteers.
An evacuation alert has been issued for all properties in the following areas:
-
Bradbury Street
-
Forest Hill Drive
-
Law Street
-
Pine Ridge Road and Pine Ridge Place
-
Powell Road
-
Princeton Ave
-
Silver Crt
-
Thompson Drive
All properties on evacuation alert should be prepared to leave on short notice should conditions change. Residents in the affected area should be prepared to be away from their homes for an extended period of time, make arrangements for pets and pack essential items such as medicines and important documents.
At least one structure on Maranatha Drive has been destroyed.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK
To contact a reporter for this story, email Kathy Michaels or call 250-718-0428 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2021