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Bc Wildfire 2015
Vancouver Island company works with Airbus to create new water bomber
VANCOUVER – A forestry and aviation company based in Port Alberni, B.C., has signed an agreement with Airbus to help turn a workhorse transport plane into a water bomber.
A look at how drones could help during a difficult B.C. wildfire season
VANCOUVER - Drones flying above wildfires in British Columbia last summer hampered aerial efforts to control the blazes. But around the same time, the province was also using the unmanned aerial vehicles to determine if drones could be used to help fight wildfires. The B.C. Wildfire Service contracted two commercial drone companies in July and...
Fire ban fully rescinded in Kamloops Fire Centre this week
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - As the weather continues to cool off and fire season comes to a close, open burning is now allowed throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre. As of noon today, Oct. 15, the current open burning ban will be completely rescinded in the areas under the Kamloops Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. Many local municipalities are following...
Man who died fighting forest fire awarded B.C.’s first citizenship medal
VICTORIA – A father of three who died fighting a forest fire on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast has been named the first recipient of the province's Medal of Good Citizenship.
Open burning ban partially lifted in Kamloops Fire Centre
KAMLOOPS – Open burning will soon be allowed throughout the fire centre, though residents in…
Kelowna police detain door-to-door canvasser claiming to be collecting money for Rock Creek fire victims
KELOWNA - Police detained a man who had been canvassing Kelowna neighbourhoods looking for cash he says would go to victims of the Rock Creek fire. Const. Kris Clark of the Kelowna RCMP says in a release that local RCMP found the man in the 1600-block of Lindsay Drive around 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept....
Commemorative shirts to remember 2015 wildfire season in South Okanagan
PENTICTON – A new fundraising effort will help remember the 2015 wildfire season in the…
Wildfire evacuation alert lifted near Oliver
OLIVER – The evacuation alert sparked by the Testalinden Creek fire burning near Oliver has…
Controlled burns planned near Oliver
OLIVER – Expect to see an increase in smoke if you are in the South…
Progress made on stubborn wildfire near Oliver
OLIVER – The Testalinden Creek fire burning west of Oliver is now 80 per cent…
Number of hectares burned in Kamloops Fire Centre nearly triple over last year
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With 455 wildfires already on the books in the Kamloops Fire Centre, this…
‘Too soon’ say critics of decision to lift campfire ban
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Some fire-shocked B.C. residents are questioning the decision by the Ministry of Forests to lift the campfire ban that has been in place since early July. The ministry announced Monday afternoon the ban would be lifted on Crown lands and campsites in the South East and Kamloops fire centres and many communities and regional districts...
Campfire ban lifted in time for September long weekend
KAMLOOPS – September long weekend will be the first weekend many campers will be able…
Evacuation order rescinded for properties affected by Testalinden Creek fire
PENTICTON – An evacuation order for 27 properties near the Testalinden Creek wildfire has been…
Wildfires near Kelowna fully contained and under control
"RAIN HAS MADE A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT" KELOWNA – Good news from the fire front…
Gusty wind a concern for wildfire crews battling blaze near Kelowna
KELOWNA – The 194-hectare fire burning southeast of Kelowna is completed surrounded by a fire guard, but strong winds in the forecast could change that. The weather system moving through the Okanagan today, Aug. 29, is bringing rain, but also very strong winds. Fire information officer Melissa Klassen says there is a machine guard around...
Testalinden Creek fire holding for now; gusty winds a concern
OLIVER – Fire crews are holding the huge wildfire burning in the South Okanagan but…
Cool, wet weather helping crews battle four wildfires in Central Okanagan; forecast wind a worry
KELOWNA – Wildfire crews have been busy the last 24 hours with four wildfires burning around Kelowna but the wet weather today is helping control the largest fire on Little White Mountain. The Little White Mountain fire is approximately 120 hectares in size and not yet fully contained, according to B.C. Wildfire fire information officer...
Evacuation alert expanded for Testalinden Creek wildfire
PENTICTON - A forecast for increased wind has resulted in an expansion of the evacuation alert for the Testalinden Creek wildfire. The Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen issued the evacuation alert expansion late in the day yesterday, August 27. The notice applies to properties north of the Testalinden Creek fire area, along Tinhorn Creek, Old Golf Course...
Communities on edge: Thompson-Okanagan fire officials field calls for false alarms
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fire appears to be at the forefront of many peoples’ minds across the Thompson-Okanagan. With wildfires burning across the province and a blanket of smoke from Washington hanging in the air, fire officials say they are receiving a number of reports which are in fact nothing more than false alarms. In the North...
Winds could whip up fire activity in B.C., Washington state: wildfire service
KAMLOOPS – About 1,600 people in southeastern British Columbia remain on evacuation alert as fire crews prepare for winds to carry in trouble from wildfires in neighbouring Washington state.
VIDEO: Boaters get in way of water bombers on Okanagan Lake
KELOWNA – The forest fire burning in the Little White mountain area southeast of Kelowna has more than tripled in size today, plus efforts to fight the blazer are being hampered by boaters on Okanagan Lake. Calls about a big plume of black smoke southeast of Kelowna this morning, Aug. 27, sparked an immediate response...
Smoke from Washington state fires casts pall over some Okanagan businesses
KELOWNA – Heavy smoke sweeping in from Washington state wildfires is causing some tourists to blow off their Okanagan vacations, say business people around Kelowna.
Possibility of ’ember showers’ from U.S. fire causes Grand Forks evacuation alert
GRAND FORKS – An evacuation alert has been issued for some residents of Grand Forks due to the possibilty of embers being blown across the border from the 19,000 hectare Stickpin wildfire in Washington State. The alert was issued today, Aug. 26 ahead of strong winds expected in the coming days, according to a post...