Wildfire near Princeton, B.C., prompts evacuation order for dozens of properties
CBC
An out of control wildfire just east of Princeton, B.C. has forced dozens of residents to flee their homes and put dozens of others on evacuation alert, as fire crews continue to fight the blaze.
The August Lake wildfire, burning about 2.3 kilometres east of Princeton's town centre was reported Saturday afternoon and is 0.14 square kilometres in size, according to B.C. Wildfire Service.
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) issued an evacuation order for just under 50 properties, including campsites in the area, the Princeton Golf Club and its on-site restaurant, and an evacuation alert for about 60 additional properties in the surrounding area, a mix of residential and agricultural lands.
Under the evacuation order, residents must leave immediately and register at the emergency reception centre at the Princeton and District Arena on Old Hedley Road, says Sean Vaisler, the RDOS manager of emergency services.
Vaisler said the proximity to residential areas make it a priority for crews.
B.C. Wildfire Service says the fire is suspected to be human-caused and is burning in an interface zone, meaning it poses a direct threat to homes and infrastructure.
"We have firefighting crews still on site as well as structure protection specialists and a structure protection unit," said Cassidy Martin, fire information officer with the Kamloops Fire Centre.
Martin said the fire displayed aggressive behaviour through the afternoon, with flames spreading at a moderate rate. But conditions started to improve later in the day.
"Most of the afternoon, crews were seeing rank 3 behaviour," she said, referring to a moderately vigorous surface fire. "However they've already seen a downgrade in that fire behaviour, which is great."
As of Saturday evening, Martin said the fire was exhibiting rank 2 fire behaviour, meaning flames are visible on the surface but spreading slowly.
Two helicopters remain on site to assist ground crews, and additional resources were redirected from a nearby backcountry fire to support efforts in Princeton, due to the immediate threat to homes, she added.
RDOS says the next scheduled update will come Sunday at 10:30 a.m., unless conditions change significantly.
A holiday event that began in 2020 during the pandemic with three floats on pickup trucks has now become one of Kelowna’s big winter events, drawing thousands to the city’s downtown core.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
It’s been hard to keep track of how many legal challenges and active court proceedings the United Conservative government has tried to quash or pre-emptively block in the last six weeks, but let’s try to tally:
Margaret Walker, the emcee of a Waterloo vigil commemorating the victims of the Montreal massacre, doesn't feel enough is being done to reflect on the killings and address gender-based violence.
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal.
An underpass revitalization project that was meant to pay tribute to the people of Parkdale has instead deteriorated into “a garbage dump,” according to nearby residents.
A young man has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a fire at a frat party near Western University that injured five sorority sisters, including two seriously, late Tuesday night.
The massive deal to combine one of Hollywood's oldest studios with a streaming giant hasn't even been approved yet, but it's already riling multiple related industries and politicians concerned about monopolies and media concentration.
Mi'kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.
For years, there has been “glaring inequity” in the way the province has allocated the millions of dollars in its county roads budget, according to Department of Transportation Minister Chuck Chiasson.
Six months after passing a law aimed at making it easier for new grocery stores to open, Manitoba's premier says lower grocery bills could be on the horizon.
Timothy Smith was acting in self-defence when he punched Landon Waddell, and shouldn't be found guilty of manslaughter, his lawyer says.