Mount Miller wildfire near Okanagan Connector being held | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Mount Miller wildfire near Okanagan Connector being held

The Mount Miller fire is being held at .8 hectares
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/BC Wildfire

KELOWNA - Fire crews hit the Mount Miller wildfire near the Okanagan Connector hard last night, and it's currently being held.

The fire is measured at 0.8 hectares today, Aug. 7, and Marla Catherall, fire information officer for B.C. Wildfire, said that it's not expected to spread, though weather and wind contribute to the ability of fire crews to keep it at bay. 

The fire, which is believed to be human-caused, initially required 10 firefighters and an additional 20 supported by air tankers and helicopters followed shortly thereafter.

Overnight there were five crew members battling back the flames and this morning there are three.

While the fire seems to be in hand, it's raised some familiar concerns.

West Kelowna Coun. Doug Findlater took to Facebook last night to point out the proximity of the blaze to the power line that connects a good chunk of the valley.

"West Kelowna's only B.C. Hydro transmission line to West Kelowna, Peachland, Westbank First Nation is again threatened. It seems OK so far but it is time for Hydro to build that alternative source to West Kelowna," he wrote.

"We shouldn't be left under threat every year."

The last time the line was taken out five years ago, it took 16 hours to get power back on in homes in the aforementioned areas.

Findlater has lobbied for the second line for the duration of his political career and in recent months the project that seemed destined to happen appeared to be delayed.

In a letter from Hydro signed by Sabrina Locicero, Stakeholder Engagement Advisor for Hydro, the council was told the cost estimate for a second line was higher than expected.

“One additional alternative that we need to examine, as part of our due diligence, is to improve the resiliency of the existing transmission line that serves West Kelowna and Peachland to minimize the risk of outages resulting from forest fires and geotechnical events,” she wrote.

Councillors took that to mean the idea of a second line is dead and Hydro is just going to look at decreasing the risk of fire or other natural disasters to the existing line.

B.C. Hydro communications officer Kevin Aquino said that wasn't the case.

“Alternative 2, a new transmission line from Nicola Substation to Westbank Substation, is still the leading alternative. However, since it was identified in 2016, the cost estimate to build the new transmission line has increased and is higher than expected," Aquino wrote. "That’s why we are looking carefully at the other alternatives, including improving the resiliency of the existing line, before we make any further decisions. We need to make sure we are making the best possible decision for our customers."


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.

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