Fires continue to threaten homes – BC News

Two days of cooler weather helped firefighters make good progress by fighting a number of forest fires in Okanagan-Similkameen.

"Here in Kelowna, the winds are quite calm and the crews are already on their way to the lights," says Noelle Kekula, BC Wildfire Service Information Officer. "They start early in the morning to get to work on all the fires they are working on."

The five "fires" are still the Mount Eneas fire that burns between Peachland and Summerland, estimated at 1,374 hectares

Goode's Creek Forest Fire located on the east side of Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Mountain Park, which is still estimated at approximately 400 hectares

Fire caused by Law Creek Lightning is estimated at 8 acres burns about six kilometers southwest of West Kelowna. The Mount Conkle Forest Fire near Summerland is smaller according to the BC Wildfire online maps and is estimated at 93 hectares.

The Placer Mountain Forest Fire that is burning 37 kilometers south of Princeton has grown and is now about 320 hectares.

There are also two newer forest fires burning just north of Naramata. One is called the Paradise Ranch Fire at about 55 acres and the other is called the Glenfir Rd Burning Forest Fire at 25 acres.

All hands are on the bridge Sunday morning to fight multiple fires, says Kekula. "The teams are working really hard to stop the fires of any growth."

"It's [Mount Eneas] is a very steep terrain there are a lot of valleys and"

The BC Wildfire Service is working on an update this morning, but despite the hard-working teams and the good weather Kekula says that a large number of large forest fires have sprouted during the night, but have remained inside their containment lines – 18 helicopters, heavy equipment, tankers and skimmers are currently fighting against fires.

Castanet will notify the public when more information becomes available.

BC Wildfire wants to remind boaters to stay away from BC Wildfire's support while they do operations on the lakes

The Canadian Press –
July 22, 2018 / 8:03 am | story:
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As more and more tourists flock to Haida Gwaii, off the north coast of British Columbia, the largest village in the remote archipelago faces to an unusual problem. Mayor Greg Martin said: [TRADUCTION] "Housing is tight, we're close to zero vacancies," he said. "Ironically, the population has declined over the last 20 years."

Visitors are drawn to the moss-covered rainforests and historic remains of totem homes and longhouses that illustrate some of the oldest coastal villages First Nations.

In recent years, the tourist season has gone from three to six months and, at the same time, some long-term housing options are being converted into short-term vacation properties on websites like Airbnb, said Martin [19659041]. Report funded by British Columbia Housing and the Gwaii Trust Society have identified increased tourist demand and short-term rental growth as one of the many factors at play in the shortage which also included an increase in non-resident ownership, low land availability and limited funding for non-profit organizations.

In March, there were 39 listings listed on Airbnb, up from 29 listings in early December, he said.

The 2016 census counted 500 private dwellings in the village.

Martin says, "It's a delicate balance, a very delicate balance," Martin said. Martin said that between 1,200 in 1996, because of the shrinking of logging and commercial fishing,

Many homes still exist, but they are occupied by fewer people

. vill Martin said that empty breeders like him lived in bigger houses with few options to downsize.

According to the housing report, 30% of respondents said that they had trouble paying their rent each month.

Lorelei Krueger, owner of the Ocean View restaurant in the village, said she had to cut down on opening hours when she did not find enough staff to relocate to the island.

"It's really hard to get people to work here when there's nowhere to live in. We had the chance to recruit a chef (from Vancouver) three weeks ago who had a lot of lucky to find a place, "she said.

Krueger does not want Airbnb hosts to lose money.

An accident in Work cost the life of a heavy duty mechanic at Fraser Surrey Docks on Saturday.

The Victim Was Killed Rob Ashton, President of the International Union of Longshore and Warehouses of Canada, confirmed the death of this last

: "It's a very sad day," Ashton said in a statement, "at his job this morning and did not return to his family."

Police and D & D Services Development Canada are investigating the incident.

– with CTV Vancouver records

The provincial government announced the addition of 431 new campsites in the province

The announcement was made Saturday in honor of Parks Day New sites will be located in high demand areas including Okanagan, Kootenay Rockies, Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, bringing the total across British Columbia. Sites range from backcountry to collective camp in BC parks and recreational forest sites.

Enhanced facilities also include road works, new water faucets, electricity, washrooms, trails and a new shower building at Hampton Campground in EC Manning Provincial Park . A new playground has been installed at Shuswap Lake.

"People like to spend time in our beautiful provincial parks, which increases the demand for camping," said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. The new campsites, combined with the upgrading of existing facilities, will enhance the overall experience of BC's natural beauty and offer a range of camping opportunities to all.

The BC Provincial Park System is the third largest In North America, behind the US National Park Service and Parks Canada, over 21 million visits are made each year.

The former mayor of Peachland, George Waldo, died Friday.

Waldo was sometimes controversial when he was mayor in the 1980s and 1990s.

Waldo lived in Peachland for 34 years. served three years as a councilor before being elected mayor. He served in the presidency for 19 years in total

"It is with great heart that we share the news of the death of George Waldo," said a statement released Friday by Peachland District

. so well regarded as the road, Waldo Way was named after him.

Colton Davies

UPDATE: 7:35 pm

At the beginning of Saturday, 113 properties were emptied due to the Mount Eneas Forest Fire, and now only 30 properties are still evacuated. These are found in the Summerland region, in the Garnet Valley – the only evacuations currently in place in the Okanagan.

The forest fire was mapped at 1,374 hectares on Friday night and no growth has been recorded since.

Kekula says that some growth is likely to happen, but adds that the crews were successful in holding the fire.

"Anything is still possible, is not it?" The hot and dry trend is coming, but as we can see. "

While many evacuations have been canceled, there are just under 900 properties still on evacuation due to the Mount Eneas powder trail, of which 698 are in the Central Okanagan Regional District and 200 others in the Okanagan Similkameen Regional District and Summerland District.

No structures were affected by the Mount Eneas Forest Fires or 39. Other Fires in the Okanagan The evacuation alert for the remaining 69 properties in the Glenrosa area, in West Kelowna, was canceled because the fire brigades were not in operation. fire well over the 10-hectare Law Creek forest fires.

On Friday morning, an evacuation alert was set up for 198 homes in the area, while Violent winds unleashed fire on the Law Creek fire, but the alert was canceled for 69 houses only this afternoon.

There are no more alerts or orders in place for the Law Creek Fire.

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UPDATE: 3:35 pm

Other evacuees are returning home today, after the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District had canceled his evacuation order for all houses east of the Mount Eneas fire, including the Callan Road houses, North Beach Road, The Greata Ranch and the Okanagan Lake Provincial Park Campground.

Decommissioning of the evacuation order comes just two hours after the Central Okanagan Regional District canceled its evacuation order for the Brent Road neighborhood.

The RDOS maintained an evacuation order for the area west of Highway 97, north of Okanagan Lake Provincial Park, but there was no of houses in this area. Access is however limited here because the forest fire is still active.

The Summerland District still has evacuation orders in place for homes in the Garnet Valley area.

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UPDATE: 1:30 pm

Other good news from the fire front Saturday as the evacuation order of 38 houses The Brent Road neighborhood, south of Peachland, was canceled Saturday afternoon

The evacuation was ordered Wednesday night, after the Mount Eneas fire began to encroach on the block.

The Peachland and West Kelowna fire departments at the road to help protect homes from menacing fire.

The cancellation of the evacuation order occurs after a positive day on the fire lines across the valley on Friday.

While residents of Brent Road homes, east of The Fire, who can now return home, the Finlay Creek cottages, located west of the fire, have was put on alert on Saturday afternoon, suggesting that the 1,374-hectare fire moved west

. an evacuation order for two homes on Callan Road, east of the big fire on Saturday, but added only one house to his evacuation alert – 951 Meadow Valley Road, at the 39, is from the fire.

All Homes Removed from Evacuation

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ORIGINAL: 10:55

Despite a quieter fire behavior in the Okanagan over the last 24 hours, 113 houses remain evacuated, all due to the 1,374 hectares of Mount Eneas Forest Fires

Due to the magnitude of the fire, the evacuated homes are under the control of the Central Okanagan Regional District, Okanagan Regional District. -Similikameen and Summerland District

. The RDOS said Saturday morning that it would determine the current risk. 43 evacuation properties under their jurisdiction and re-evaluating evacuation orders. These properties are located along Okanagan Lake and include homes on Callan Road and North Beach Road.

West of the fire, in the Meadow Valley area, 49 homes were placed in a state of evacuation on Friday night.

Meanwhile, 32 properties are still in evacuation in the Summerland District, in the Garnet Valley region, south of the fire, while another 105 are in a state of disrepair. Alert in the area

The evacuation warning of 13 Indian band bands due to Mount Conkle forest fire remains in effect.

To the north, the RDCO has 38 houses still under evacuation order in the Brent Road neighborhood, along Highway 97.

Axelle Bazett with the RDCO Emergency Operations Center says continually monitor the situation, but can not provide a deadline for residents to return home, because the fire remains very active.

The eviction order of three homes along Log Chute Road near Antlers Beach on Thursday night was canceled Friday, but an alert remains in effect. In the Glenrosa area of ​​western Kelowna, 69 homes remain under surveillance because of the Law Creek forest fires from the 198 homes targeted by the initial alert issued Friday morning.

BC Wildfire Service states that no homes were affected by fires in the valley

After the Okanagan Forest Fires forced a last-minute change of plans for a husband and a future wife, the couple found a happy ending to the stressful ordeal.

Tyler Balaban and his fiancé Ronny had planned to marry along Okanagan Lake at the Fitzpatrick Family Winery at Greata Ranch on Saturday, but the Mount Eneas Forest Fires forced the evacuation of the property on Wednesday, ruining the plans of the couple, eight months in the making. the wedding attendees came from outside the city, from as far away as Europe and Australia, it was out of the question to postpone the date.

On Thursday, Balaban told Castanet that they were looking for a last minute place change somewhere in Okanaga

"It was the place, it was our dream place to get married, "says Balaban.

On Friday, Balaban took on Twitter to say that they have "an unbelievable new place locked."

Although he did not specify the exact location, the couple 's dream of a wedding in Okanagan occurred Saturday.

"What an adventure! After the wedding, will be within the reach of all those who were ready to give a hand.The humans are incredible," Balaban posted on Twitter

UPDATE: 1:35 pm

The five Okanagan-Similkameen "traffic lights" listed below are considered a threat to public safety or are visible to the public. public. A sixth, Upper Brookside Creek fire near Vernon, is no longer considered a bonfire from the start of the Saturday season.

MOUNT ENEAS: The fire that burns between Peachland and Summerland is estimated to 1,374 hectares. The fire has forced dozens of evacuation orders and hundreds of alerts in the Peachland and Garnet Valley areas. The BCWS says the fire was threatening the structures on Friday, and that structural protection units have been deployed in the area, but it's not clear if any buildings have been hit. Forty-nine provincial firefighters are on fire on Saturday morning. At least four municipal fire departments have also responded, and teams continue to work on increasing containment guards.

GOODE CREEK: Formerly known as the BCWS "Good Creek" Forest Fire, this fire is located on the east side of Okanagan Lake. in the Okanagan Mountain Park. The fire has not increased at all recently, and it is still estimated at 400 hectares. The evacuation warnings put in place at the south end of Lakeshore Road in Kelowna were lifted Friday afternoon as the wind blew south, far from the houses. Today, 21 firefighters work to establish control lines on the fire.

LAW CREEK: This fire caused by lightning has an estimated size of 10 hectares and put on alert 198 evacuation homes Friday, but only 69 are still in a state of alert. It burns about six kilometers southwest of West Kelowna. The BC Wildfire Service claims that the fire was difficult due to burning in difficult terrain, but the crews are working today to contain the flanks of fire and build control lines.

MOUNT CONKLE: This fire caused by lightning has an estimated size of 118 hectares, but the crews have kept 90% of the fire by hand and put the pipe around 60%. The BCWS claims that the fire has responded well to the extinguishing efforts and that 40 firefighters are now working against the fire.

PLACE MOUNTAIN: This fire burns 37 kilometers south of Princeton and sets up a large plume of smoke visible from across the Similkameen. The BC Wildfire Service reports that the fire is 255 hectares. Eighteen firefighters work on the fire, as well as three helicopters and eight pieces of heavy equipment

Updates on these fires will be provided several times during the day on Castanet.

His pbadenger is lucky to be alive after crashing on Highway 1 near Revelstoke

GRC cap. Thomas Blakney stated that on July 20, just before 8 pm, the emergency teams were called at the intersection of Highway 23 South and Highway 23.

"It was determined that the motorcycle then, "says Blakney." Returning to the lane west of the two-way highway lane, the driver lost control and laterally the concrete barrier, and then went on to the ditch. "

The 39-year-old woman was cycled through a forested area while the driver was standing by the motorcycle

The driver and pbadenger, both from Alberta, were transported to Queen Victoria Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

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Integrated Homicide Investigation Team Identifies Victim of Murder in Abbotsford

Sukhpreet Grewal, 32, of Abbotsford, Found Dead inside a house

Cpl. Frank Jang said on July 20 at 12:40 that a family reported the disappearance of one of its members to the Abbotsford Police Department

"When the police arrived at the residence of the missing person to check his well-being, they found him dead inside the house.His death was considered a homicide and the IHIT was called to lead the "Inquiry," Jang said.

"The IHIT is working closely with its partners in the Abbotsford Police Department, ODA Judicial Identification Section. and BC Coroners Service to gather evidence. "

Grewal was known to police and investigators believe that his murder was not a random act.

"We believe that there are those who knew Mr. Grewal who might have information that could help us solve his murder." We need anyone with information to contact IHIT immediately, "he said. Jang declared.

Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448), or by email at [email protected]

to keep For anonymity, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).