There is a planned ignition for the Upper Park Rill Creek wildfire happening Sunday afternoon.
Flames will be visible starting around 1 p.m. if conditions allow. The wildfire service said it’s being done to protect homes during favourable wind conditions.
Planned ignition for the Upper Park Rill Creek wildfire happening now. Flames visible. Being done to protect homes during favourable wind conditions. https://t.co/029yNyASvc pic.twitter.com/wGiIo2on3c
— RDOS EOC (@EmergMgtRDOS) August 20, 2023
“These are routine small scale hand ignitions to reinforce existing guards,” said Wildfire fire information officer Casda Thomas.
There are 75 firefighters responding to this out of control wildfire along with structural protection crews.
“It is very smoky in the area so it has been challenging for our aerial crews. Once the smoke clears a bit we’ll have helicopters responding,” Thomas added.
BC Wildfire still keeps the fire at 1,090 hectares which is what it was on Saturday.
While BC Wildfire couldn’t predict what Sunday night will bring, it isn’t showing that extreme fire behaviour it did Friday into Saturday.
The blaze was discovered early Friday morning and prompted hundreds of evacuation orders.
Those 257 properties remain on evacuation on Sunday.
An additional 246 properties are still under evacuation alert.
READ MORE: ‘Aggressive’ Twin Lakes wildfire still 1,090 hectares; hundreds displaced
The Emergency Reception Centre is open at Princess Margaret Secondary at 120 Green Avenue W. in Penticton as of 9 am. on Sunday.
Volunteers are available to provide Emergency Support Services to anyone impacted by wildfires, not just from Crater Creek and Upper Park Rill wildfires, said the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
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