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Okanagan weather phenomenon not helping wildfire fight

The Mount Eneas wildfire on July 19, 2018 taken from Beach Avenue in Peachland.

PENTICTON - Erratic fire behaviour caused by capricious winds are hampering efforts to fight the Mount Eneas wildfire burning south of Peachland.

Environment Canada meteorologist Matt MacDonald says an Okanagan weather phenomenon known to weather forecasters as the Trepanier Split has been wreaking havoc on firefighting efforts this week.

Westerly winds flowing down the Trepanier Valley split, resulting in winds flowing in a southerly direction in the northern part of the valley and winds flowing in a northerly direction in the southern part of the valley.

“So, you can imagine westerly winds coming down and splitting," MacDonald says. "In the morning the winds were southerly, then they switched to the north."

"When you have wind directions that are all over the place like that, it’s obviously pretty tricky for wildfire fighters.”

Emergency personnel had to move quickly Wednesday night, July 18, when the Mount Eneas wildfire jumped Highway 97 and began threatening residences in the area, forcing evacuation notices without prior alerts.

Read more about the Mount Eneas wildfire here.


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