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Penticton
Wildfire burning near Spotted Lake
OSOYOOS - An interface fire that started Wednesday afternoon, continued to spread aggressivley overnight along Old Richter Pass Road near Osoyoos. As of 8:30 a.m. the fire, just south of Spotted Lake and west of Osoyoos, was estimated at 15 hectares and was yet to be fully contained. The fire is "wrapped in hose" and...
Smoke in sky from fires in northern B.C.
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Several large fires in the northeastern part of the province are causing a haze across much of the Southern Interior today. B.C. Wildfire Provincial Fire Information Officer Erin Catherall says most of what we can see is likely from the Prince George Fire Zone where two large fires and several smaller ones are...
Record heat on the way
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Records could fall this weekend as the hot, dry weather trend continues. The expected heat wave will last for at least the next 7 days. In Kamloops temperatures are expected to reach 37 Celsius on Saturday and then around 38 C for the next three days. Record high temperatures are currently 38.6 C...
UPDATE: Work camps evacuated due to fast moving fire
PRINCE GEORGE - High winds and hot, dry weather have fuelled a fire southeast of Tumbler Ridge, fanning it to more than 3,000 hectares and forcing evacuations of two oil and gas work camps in the area. The fire, which was started by lightning this weekend, is 61 kilometres southeast of Tumbler Ridge and was...
Farriers not a dying breed, just a hidden one
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - During the horse and buggy age, farriers were as common as mechanics ensuring travellers had four on the floor to get from point A to point B but today, they're an elusive service provider. Anyone with a horse likely uses the service of someone specializing in horse feet. One local farrier says while...
Tropical Tuesday comes close to records
VERNON TOPS PREVIOUS HIGH THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With temperatures soaring into the mid-30s yesterday, it was a close call for many communities but Vernon was alone in setting a new record. With temperatures reaching a high of 34.8 Celsius, Vernon beat the previous record of 34.4 C, set in 1920. Vernon will be a bit cooler...
Investigation into cause of rockslide continues
SUMMERLAND – The section of Highway 97 that was hit by a rockslide between Peachland and Summerland Sunday will remain partially closed until at least Tuesday. Murray Tekano of the Ministry of Transportation says until the 500 cubic metres of debris is cleared, highway traffic will be down to one lane in each direction. “Right now...
Sun and heat brings ‘very high’ UV ratings
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After a brief stumbling block this weekend Mother Nature is returning with the full force of the sun behind her, bringing us temperatures well into the 30s over the next week. Temperatures dipped a little closer to normals for a few days heading into the weekend and were followed by a bit of...
Hot, dry June could lead to more fires in July
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Hot, dry and stormy. June was not an ideal month throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre and concerns July could be a very active fire season are still very real. Overall temperatures were slightly above normal and slightly less rain fell. Combined with periods of lightning activity this led to more than 40 new...
Woman who died in accident near Peachland identified
PEACHLAND - The B.C. Coroners Service has identified a woman who died in a crash near Peachland, June 26. She was Barbara Lynn Garrett, 69, of Penticton. The accident happened shortly after noon at the intersection of Highway 97 and Trepanier Bench Rd. At the time, RCMP Sgt. Wade Severson said a northbound SUV hit...
Bike camp gives new lease on life
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A young man says a mountain bike camp aimed at helping those affected by substance abuse came at just the right time to save him from himself. “The past two years have been really hard for me, I got suicidal…. I was on lots of pills,” Cameron Model, 25, says. “This camp is...
Higher speeds coming to a highway near you
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Three highways will see speed limits increase to 120 km/h today and another 1,300 km of highways will see the increase later this summer. Over 9,100 km of highways were surveyed during a Rural Highway Safety and Speed Review and Minister Todd Stone says several key points are now being addressed — speed...
Elvis sightings off the scale in Penticton
PENTICTON – Rhinstones glittered, the smell of Brylcreem wafted through the air and the mumble of "Thank you. Thank you very much," could be heard as Elvis tribute artists performed at the 13 annual Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival this weekend. The three day event wrapped up Sunday with an Elvis gospel show at Okanagan...
Expect a hot Canada Day
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - After a mix of rain and cloud much of the weekend Mother Nature has decided to smile down on Canada Day with a lot of sun and heat. The entire Interior will be drenched in temperatures between 32-35 C on July 1 and then Wednesday will also be around 34 C but neither...
Quebec cheese pulled form B.C. shelves
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A cheese possibly containing a toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria has been pulled from the shelves of B.C. retailers this week as a food recall warning is expanded. The original recall was issued on June 20 for Le Moutier Goat Cheese out of Quebec and Thursday the recall was expanded to include the...