Volunteers and firefighters received some help from the weather on Thursday when the winds were lighter as wildfire…
Volunteers and firefighters received some help from the weather on Thursday when the winds were lighter as wildfires continue to blaze out of control in several British Columbia communities.
The inferno forced nearly 2,000 people to evacuate their homes and thousands others preparing to flee at only an hour’s notice should the flames draw too close.
The Okanagan Mountain fire burning south of the city of Kelowna was estimated on Thursday morning at about 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres), nearly six times larger than Tuesday morning’s estimates.
A local news report called the fire a “double-headed monster,” because if winds push the flames north, it could burn into expensive houses on the outskirts of Kelowna and if it is pushed south it would hit the village of Naramata.
The Okanagan region east of Vancouver is home to western Canada’s wine industry, and the fire has forced the closure of at least one winery, although it is believed no structures were destroyed.
The fire had been listed as 40 percent contained on Wednesday, but that had dropped to 20 percent on Thursday.
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