The Mount Eneas fire at 11:30 p.m. July 19 from Beach Avenue in Peachland.

(MARSHALL JONES / iNFOnews.ca)

Smoky skies and the sounds of helicopters and airtankers have returned to the Okanagan summer as eight serious or visible wildfires have emerged from Tuesday night's lightning storm, but none of them posed an immediate threat until later tonight.

An evacuation order was issued at 10:20 p.m. for properties in the Brent Road area and Highway 97 South, north of the fire. Residents should leave immediately. Find more information and the most up to date information, including where to go, here.

At 10:38 p.m., the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen declared a state of local emergency because the fires are threatening properties on the east and west side of Highway 97 in the vicinity of Greata Ranch. It issued evacuation orders for nine properties 11 p.m. from 567 to 697 Highway 97 and at 12:30 a.m. ordered another 34 properties to evacuate, mostly on North Beach Road. That includes all campers at Okanagan Lake Provincial Park. For more information go here.  

B.C. Wildfire updates this evening confirm what everyone can see with their own eyes: They are attacking most of those fires and so far keeping them at bay with one exception. The Good Creek fire — the one in Okanagan Mountain Park — has grown to 200 hectares. The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre has issued an evacuation alert late this evening for residents from 6006-8888 Lakeshore Road. 

Two more fires are estimated at 50 ha, though the Placer Mountain fire south of Princeton hasn't been updated since 5 p.m. The other is the Mount Conkle fire, eight kilometres southwest of Summerland. 

The rest are under two hectares, though again Munro Lake fire and the Mount Eneas fire, 2 kms southwest of Peachland, haven't been updated since 5 p.m. Those fires are producing a lot of smoke and are visible from Kelowna to Penticton and were responsible for closing Highway 97 to traffic. 

The Glenfir Road fire way above Naramata is estimated at 1.5 ha and two wildfires in West Kelowna have remained small today despite evening winds. The Carrot Mountain fire above the neighbourhood of Smith Creek and the Law Creek fire above Glenrosa are under one hectare. 

These are Wildfires of Note, according to B.C. Wildfire, and are being fought with ground and air crews. Other smaller, less visible fires are also spread throughout the Okanagan and Similkameen. 

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