A lumber truck fire, Aug. 19, along Highway 97C.
Image Credit: TWITTER/Mel_George
August 20, 2022 - 8:20 AM
The Okanagan Connector was closed overnight after a lumber truck caught fire near Brenda Mine.
DriveB.C. reported both lanes of traffic reopened this morning, Aug. 20, along Highway 97C following the vehicle fire but delays are expected as one eastbound lane is still closed.
Fire Chief Dennis Craig, with the Peachland Fire Department, said crews responded to the blaze at roughly 7:45 p.m., Aug. 19, on behalf of the B.C. Wildfire Service.
When firefighters arrived, the lumber truck was already fully involved, he said. The truck was far enough away from the grass on the roadside that it didn't spread.
Firefighters were on the scene for hours, pulling apart lumber to fully extinguish the fire. They returned home by 1:30 a.m.
No firefighters were injured in the incident but Craig said he wasn’t sure if other injuries happened in relation to the blaze.
It’s been a slow year for roadside fires, he said. Firefighters usually respond to a few along the highway per summer.
“Brenda Mine’s hill is very steep and you do get lots of vehicles overheating as they go up it,” he said. “This summer has been a little quieter than normal.”
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