A fresh wildfire erupted near Peachland, British Columbia, on Thursday evening, leading to the evacuation of residents from 325 addresses. An additional 1,100 properties are on evacuation alert, advising residents to be prepared to leave on short notice.
The Central Okanagan Regional District issued the evacuation order at 6 p.m. PT on Thursday, swiftly followed by the evacuation alert around 7:45 p.m. PT. The blaze, situated near Munro Lake approximately six kilometers southwest of Peachland, poses a threat to the Munro Lake Forest Service Road and the Peachland Main Road.
According to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), the fire ignited earlier on Thursday and has since expanded to 0.7 square kilometers (74.3 hectares). Shae Stearns, a BCWS fire information officer, attributed the heightened fire activity to gusty winds in the area.
The fire is currently classified as Rank 3, denoting a moderately vigorous surface fire. Over 40 personnel, along with air tankers and four helicopters, are actively engaged in fire suppression efforts, with support from the Peachland Fire Department.
Kirsten Jones, an information officer with the regional district’s emergency operations center, urged affected individuals to sign up for the district’s email notification list and register online for updates and assistance. Evacuated residents requiring aid can seek resources at the muster center located at the Peachland Community Centre.
Jones emphasized the importance of sharing verified information and checking on neighbors as the fire is suspected to be human-caused, falling under the category of wildfires not ignited by lightning.
