The Kookipi Creek Wildfire forced the closure of Highway 1 in the Fraser Canyon overnight.
Image Credit: Facebook/BC Wildfire Service
August 18, 2023 - 7:19 AM
Along with structural damage and the evacuation of 2,462 properties in the West Kelowna area, at least 80 other properties have been evacuated due to other fires in the Thompson-Okanagan and Highway 1 has been closed in the Fraser Canyon.
READ MORE: Structure losses in West Kelowna to McDougall Creek wildfire
The Kookipi Creek Wildfire, 16 km northwest of Boston Bar, forced the closure of Highway 1 at 9 p.m. yesterday, Aug. 17. DriveBC’s next update on that closure is scheduled for 9 a.m. today.
The fire has been burning since July 8 and is now about 2,000 ha is size. It is burning out of control. It’s suspected to have been caused by lightning.
In Lytton, 216 properties were placed on evacuation alert at 11 p.m. yesterday.
A number of properties in the Wilden area of Kelowna were ordered evacuated as of 1:40 a.m. this morning. The Central Okanagan Emergency Response Centre posting does not say how many but lists 11 affected streets. Go here for details. BC Wildfires reported three small wildfires in the Clifton Road, Wilden and McKinley Landing areas of the city last night.
As of 6 p.m. last night, 40 properties in the Lac Le Jeune area were under evacuation order due to the Rossmoore Lake Wildfire. Another 352 properties are on evacuation alert.
That fire, about 10 km southwest of Kamloops, has been burning since July 21 and has consumed more than 7,800 ha. It is suspected to have been caused by lightning.
There are also 21 properties on evacuation order and 2,400 on evacuation alert in the Adams Lake area.
The Lower East Adams Lake fire has been burning since July 12 and has consumed more than 10,000 ha. It’s about 21 km north of Chase.
There are 19 properties on evacuation order and 189 on evacuation alert due to the Crater Creek Wildfire southwest of Keremeos.
It has been burning since July 22 and has consumed about 14,000 ha. It’s 18 km southwest of Keremeos but is also threatening Cathedral Park.
The last air quality bulletin was issued yesterday. The map accompanying it shows smoke from Prince George through the Thompson-Okanagan and out to Cranbrook.
The Air Quality Health Index shows a #10 ranking for Kamloops this morning, which is the top of the scale for the greatest health risk, although sometimes readings go to 10+.
That’s forecast to ease to a moderate rating later today.
The Okanagan has low rankings this morning but the air quality health risk is expected to rise to moderate later today.
The extremely dry conditions and winds expected today go not bode well for firefighters.
READ MORE: Winds to remain a problem for firefighters today
In addition, the province has declared the Okanagan is now in Drought Level 5, which is the highest rating on its scale.
An Okanagan Basin Water Board news release urges water conservation and notes the drought could have a deadly impact on fish.
- This article was updated at 7:40 a.m. Aug. 18, 2023 to add information about evacuations in Kelowna.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 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. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.
News from © iNFOnews, 2023