A fire ignited behind a gas station in B.C.’s North Okanagan on Friday night resulted in evacuation orders for 15 properties. The District of Coldstream issued the evacuation order in the Lavington area late Friday night, along with an evacuation alert for dozens more properties. Residents in the evacuated areas were urged to leave immediately, while those under the alert were advised to be prepared to evacuate at short notice.
The fire, covering an area of 66 hectares on Saturday morning, prompted the Regional District of North Okanagan to advise residents to steer clear of the Noble Canyon and Becker Lake areas due to the blaze. According to Taylor Stewart Shantz, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, the fire grew rapidly, fueled by dry land vegetation.
Efforts to combat the fire included helicopters dousing the flames with water overnight, resulting in reduced fire activity on Saturday. Firefighters utilized multiple aircraft to contain the blaze, with boaters cautioned to avoid nearby lakes for aircraft refueling purposes.
The weather forecast indicated a potential improvement for fire crews in the Lavington area over the weekend, with hopes for precipitation by Sunday. Meanwhile, multiple fires in the Chilcotin area, near Anahim Lake, led to hundreds being evacuated from their homes in central B.C. The Beef Trail Creek wildfire covered an area of 102 square kilometers northwest of Anahim Lake, while the Dusty Lake wildfire covered an area of 58 square kilometers southeast of the community by Saturday afternoon.
Fire information officer Mikhail Elsay mentioned that a thick smoke layer over the fires had moderated temperatures and fire activity, with limited winds as a result. While a cooler weather system could potentially reduce fire behavior, it might also bring unsettled conditions to the region. The cause of the wildfire, suspected to be human activity behind the Lavington Canco gas station, was one of nearly 150 wildfires burning across the province on Saturday morning.
