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Penticton  

2 homes confirmed burned

UPDATE: 5 p.m.

Noelle Kekula, fire information officer for BC Wildfire Service, confirmed at a press conference this afternoon that two homes have been burned in the Oliver fires, one from each fire.

The Testalinden fire is now estimated to be 1560 hectares in size, and the Wilsons Mountain fire is estimated to be 316 hectares. 

While the Testalinden fire is believed to be caused by lightning, the cause of the Wilsons Mountain fire is under investigation.


UPDATE: 3 p.m.

Kevin Skrepnek, chief fire information officer for the B.C. Wildfire Service confirms multiple structures have burned in the Oliver wildfires.

An exact count on the destruction is not yet available.


UPDATE: 10 A.M.

One home has been confirmed burned as the two fires threatening Oliver this morning continue to grow larger, taking advantage of the drought conditions in the area. 

The Testalinden Creek fire, burning approximately 7 kilometres south of Oliver is now estimated at 1,300 hectares.

The fire has forced the evacuation of 100 homes, and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has confirmed the fire has destroyed one home. 

The Wilsons fire, just one km north of Oliver is now 200 hectares. This fire has forced the evacuation of 260 homes.

It began at Testalinden Creek and travelled south, adjacent to the valley bottom, and higher to Kilpoola Estates at Richter Pass.

Both fires are interface fires, meaning they are threatening buildings and putting communities at risk. 

Sixty firefighters and three helicopters from the BC Wildfire Service are battling the blazes, along with support from other fire departments.

Both fires are completely uncontained.


ORIGINAL: 6:47 A.M.

Two fast-moving wildfires on Oliver's doorstep have forced hundreds of residents to evacuate.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said the Wilsons Mountain fire raging one kilometre north of Oliver had grown to about 150 hectares by early Saturday morning.

Fire information officer Kayla Pepper said Friday evening that three helicopters and crews from multiple agencies were responding, however, the available air tankers had been grounded by stormy weather.

The other blaze, the Testalinden Creek fire, ignited Friday evening about seven kilometres south of town.

By early Saturday morning, it covered 750 hectares and was still growing.

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has issued an evacuation order for more than 200 homes in the area of the two fires.

The district says both blazes pose an imminent threat to the homes and it has opened an emergency operations centre to co-ordinate its response.

Emergency Social Services has also been activated at the Oliver Community Centre to help deal with evacuees.



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