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Wildfire at 80 hectares

UPDATE 8:45 P.M.

Air tanker action has ended for the night on the Joe Rich Fire, however 21 crew members will remain on site.

Fire information officer Kayla Pepper says crews will work to establish control lines and fire guards as they work towards containment.

“There is no containment right now, however we expect minimal fire activity overnight.”

She says there are no trees candling and there is less wind, compared with earlier in the day when winds reach 25 km an hour.


UPDATE 6 P.M.

There has been no growth reported in the Joe Rich Wildfire over the past 90 minutes.

Kayla Pepper with the Wildfire Management Branch said the fire remained at 80 hectares in size as of 6 p.m.

She did say air support has been able to drop fire retardant around 70 per cent of the fire.

The fire is currently burning as a Rank 1 or Rank 2 at the base and Rank 2 and Rank 3 at the head.

A large contingency of aircraft are supporting ground efforts. Aircraft will fly until it is unsafe or too dark to do so.

Click here for information on evacuations.

Click here for our photo gallery


UPDATE 4:45 P.M.

The wildfire burning out of control on Highway 33 in Joe Rich has grown to 80 hectares, according to Kayla Pepper with the Wildfire Management Branch.

The fire was spotted about 2:45 p.m.

Pepper said the fire is burning in hot, dry conditions with winds from the north gusting at about 25 km/h. The fire is also burning up-slope.

The province has sent 27 firefighters and eight aircraft to assist local fire crews from halls throughout the Central Okanagan.

View a gallery of reader-submitted photos here.

Click here for the latest evacuation information.



UPDATE 3:45 P.M.

John Lilley, a truck driver, is caught up in traffic near the fire on Highway 33 about 50 to 100 feet from the fire. He says the fire is spreading quickly up the hillside.

"I see flames and smoke. It's about a Rank 4 right now," Lilley told Castanet.

"It's (smoke) really, really thick up here. You can't even see through it. It's blinding, it's hurting the eyes."

Lilley said the wind is gusting about 15 to 20 km/h.

Firefighters from around the Central Okanagan are on the scene, along with air support from the Wildfire Management Branch.

There is no estimation of size on the fire.

An evacuation order has gone out to residents of Huckleberry Road, between Sun Valley and Goudie roads.

Highway 33 is closed to traffic. A detour is available along Goudie Road.

Castanet reporter Jen Zielinski is on scene. She spoke with Christine Haynes, who lives in the Joe Rich area.

Haynes told Castanet her husband spotted the fire at 2:45 p.m.

Haynes said when she went up to look at the fire, it was right on the highway across from Heartland Ranch.

"She said it was blazing up the highway extremely fast. It caught a couple of trees right away ... they saw trees candle right away."

She said it was growing very quickly.


UPDATE 3:40 P.M.

Residents near the Highway 33 wildfire are being evacuated.

An evacuation order has been put in place for all residents on Huckleberry Road, between Goudie Road and Sun Valley Road.


Fire crews are on the scene of a wildfire in the area of Highway 33, about a mile east of Heartland Ranch.

According to fire crews, the fire is about a hectare in size and moving up a slope.

It is being described as a Rank 2 fire with flames getting into the trees.

The fire is close to the highway prompting RCMP to close Highway 33. A detour is available on Goudie Road.

Residents living on Daves Road are apparently able to get home.

Traffic is backing up. Motorists are asked to stay away from the area if possible.

Crews from the Wildfire Management Branch are also on scene.

Castanet has a reporter heading to the scene.

Send pictures/video to [email protected].



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