Hundreds of people have been forced to flee their homes as an aggressive blaze dubbed the Keremeos Creek Wildfire continues to burn about 20 kilometres outside of Penticton.
As of Monday afternoon, the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS EOC) issued evacuation orders for 324 properties.
Evacuation orders impact:
- Apex Mountain area
- Sheep Creek Road South
- North of Olalla
- Highway 3A
On Monday, Apex residents, visitors and workers raced to gather what they could from the resort. The order affected over 200 properties in the area.
“I’ve got my cat right beside me here, and we’re just going for a bit of a drive now,” said Apex resident Anthony Briggs as he left Apex.
“It’s just stressful,” Briggs said. “We didn’t have time to get our motorcycles. A lot of our recreational stuff is up there. Just the essentials and the important stuff is all I could do.”
The fire has also triggered an evacuation alert for 438 properties, which includes Penticton resident Esther Brittain’s ranch.
“We aren’t on the order to move but we’re just going to move the horses down the road to a neighbour’s pasture, just in case,” Brittain said.
She went on to say that aside from relocating their eight horses, they’ve also taken steps to prepare the ranch in case the wildfire comes down the mountain.
“We’re pretty prepared because of the fire that came through here a few years ago. We’ve got firehoses in place and a pump in the creek,” Brittain said.
During an update on Monday, the regional district clarified that an evacuation order means residents must leave immediately.
“If you are in an area that is under an evacuation order, it’s very important that you leave as BC Wildfire Service will be moving into that area once it’s on an evacuation order,” said RDOS EOC information officer Erick Thompson.
“They will be laying hoses, they’ll have equipment in place. It is a working area, so it is vital that people remain out of those areas for the safety of first responders and for the public as well.”
If you are on an evacuation alert or order, the RDOS said you should register with Emergency Support Services at 250-486-1890.
A reception centre has been set up at Princess Margaret Secondary, which is located at 120 Green Ave. in Penticton if you require immediate assistance. Additional information regarding hours can be found on the RDOS website.
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