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Another 40 properties put on evacuation alert for Keremeos Creek wildfire

Regional District issued the alerts for Grand Oro Road and 2 Highway 3A homes
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BC Wildfire Services posted this picture of the sunrise on Highway 3A Wednesday after a difficult night protecting homes and powerlines from Keremeos Creek fire. (BC Wildfire)

Around 38 properties on Grand Oro Road North and two properties on Highway 3A have been put on evacuation alert Wednesday morning due to the Keremeos Creek fire.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen issued the alert for electoral areas I and G at 10 a.m. because of “the potential danger for life and health.”

To see what addresses are on the list click here.

BC Wildfire Services said there was minimal growth overnight and re-opened Highway 3A around midnight after closing it due to flames getting close to the road on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Highway 3A closes due to wildfire

The highway was closed in both directions all day Tuesday from Keremeos to Kaleden.

After a long night shift of monitoring and safeguarding homes and powerlines along Highway 3A near the community of Kaleden, BC Wildfire Service crews turned over firefighting to the day shift.

The night shift crews will head to their camp at the Oliver airport and sleep through the day in an air-conditioned hanger to get good rest for their next shift.

“We appreciate the understanding of the public, the securing of this line will allow the highway to remain open for the foreseeable future,” said BC Wildfire Service Wednesday morning. Check back with DriveBC to make sure the highway is open.

As of Aug. 3, the blaze is still an estimated 2,790 hectares. The fire moved down towards the south end of Yellow Lake.

Over the next 24 hours, planned ignitions will occur on the east flank. In preparation for the ignitions, crews are establishing control lines from Highway 3A to the top of Sheep Creek Road and the northside of the highway, southwards to Green Mountain Road. Crews are also preparing Cedar Creek Road for potential burn operations.

There are 324 properties are under an evacuation order with another 438 under an alert.

READ MORE: Minimal growth of Keremeos Creek fire but still hundreds evacuated

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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