More than 200 properties in the BC Interior resort community of Apex Mountain Village have been ordered to evacuate as firefighters continue to battle a wildfire in the area.
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) issued an evacuation order for the area on Monday morning because of the Keremeos Creek Wildfire southwest of Penticton, BC, in the southern interior of the province. Dozens of other Apex Mountain properties are ready for evacuation as well.
The ski resort used its snowmaking machines to blast fog onto the buildings in an attempt to protect them from the fire.
James Schalman, the resort’s general manager, said RCMP were going door-to-door with the evacuation order Monday.
“Things are looking good right now, but you never know if the wind changes and Mother Nature turns things around,” he said.
He estimated that “several hundred people” live in the village during the summer months.
The 4.4 square kilometer Keremeos Creek wildfire, about 21 kilometers south of Penticton, British Columbia, is seen in an aerial photograph Sunday afternoon. (Submitted by BC Wildfire Service)
The fire, which was discovered on Friday, was last estimated at 4.4 square kilometers in size and is confirmed to have destroyed one structure so far.
The BC Wildfire Service said the fire became more aggressive Sunday afternoon, particularly in the southwest corner, and a more accurate estimate of the size is expected sometime Monday.
The cause of the wildfire is still under investigation, but it has already prompted a number of other evacuation orders and alerts in the area.
RDOS information officer Eric Thompson reminded people under an evacuation alert to be ready to leave at very short notice.
Thompson said people who have to leave their homes can register with the province’s evacuee registration and housing assistance program if they can’t stay with family or friends.
Campfire ban for Kamloops Fire Centre
A second significant wildfire inland, the Nohomin Creek fire northwest of Lytton, was holding steady at about 18 square miles (29 square kilometers) on Monday morning.
According to the British Columbia Wildfire Service, conditions around the fire remained hot and dry Sunday, but afternoon fire activity did not increase as much as in previous days.
The wildfire service also announced Monday that a campfire ban will soon be in place for the Kamloops Fire Center, which covers both the Keremeos Creek and Nohomin Creek fires.
All campfires, fireworks, sky lanterns, burn barrels, fireplaces and tiki torches will be banned in the region from midday on Thursday. The restrictions remain in effect until October 15.
A statement announcing the ban said the fire danger level across the fire center was currently “high” or “extreme” due to the hot and dry weather.
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