Christie Mountain wildfire near Penticton under control

The Christie Mountain wildfire near Penticton is now under control after it was sparked by lightning over three weeks ago.

B.C. Wildfire Service says fire activity on the more than 2,100 hectare Christie Mountain blaze south of Penticton is slowly winding down and is now under control.

The wildfire was discovered Aug.18, around six kilometres north of Okanagan Falls and the wildfire service suspect it was caused by lightning.

Thirty-nine firefighters are working to on the eastern flank of the fire today, Sept. 11, mopping up hotspots with four helicopters in support. Wildfire service says the hotspots were spotted in an "overnight aerial scan" earlier this week.

Today, 39 firefighters continue to mop up and patrol the eastern flank of the fire with support from four helicopters. They are working to extinguish persistent hotspots that were identified from an overnight aerial scan on September 9.

"Nearby communities can still expect to see smoke within the fire’s perimeter over the coming weeks," the wildfire service says. "This is common with large wildfires, and smoke will continue to be visible until there is significant rainfall at the site. However, smoke that rises from green, unburned fuel or from outside a fire’s perimeter should be reported immediately."

There were several evacuation alerts and one evacuation order, all have since been rescinded, although an area restriction remains in place.

You can find out more information about the area restriction here.

Find past stories on the Christie Mountain wildfire here.

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