Locals say wildfires have become ‘part of life’ as Eagle Bluff fire in South Okanagan triples in size

OLIVER (NEWS 1130) – B.C. is certainly nowhere near the level of wildfire activity it has seen over the past few years right now, but flames are spreading on the Sunshine Coast as well as in the south Okanagan.

As an evacuation alert near Oliver is expanded, a former wildfire fighter — who has a front row seat of the Eagle Bluff fire — says the fire cycle is a natural part of the forest.

Donna — who asked that her last name not be used — has been snapping some dramatic photos of the wildfire while kayaking on Vaseux Lake north of Oliver. She says while some people, particularly tourists, are a little panicky given the evacuation alerts and the spread of the flames, she isn’t sounding the alarm just yet.

The photo in the previous tweet is from Monday night. This is near the same spot on Vaseux Lake last night. The Eagle Bluff Fire is now approx. 600 hectares with the evacuation alert slightly expanded. pic.twitter.com/F0Rq4drfYt

— Mike Lloyd ☕️ (@llikemoyd) August 7, 2019

“Because I have a background in fighting fire, I have a little more knowledge about fire behaviour, I am a little calmer about this than the average person,” she told NEWS 1130.

Giving a little insight into what goes into fighting wildfires, Donna says crews determine the priorities of their resources.

“They consider homes and infrastructure as the top priority, and other resources of lesser value,” she explained. “So currently, what I’ve been told, is there’s a power station nearby, and that is why there’s so much attention and resources put on this fire.”

The Eagle Bluff fire has tripled in size since early Tuesday to about 900 hectares with the air and ground attack intensifying. It’s burning in dry and rocky terrain, which has proven to be a challenge for crews on the ground.

 

However, Donna says the fire doesn’t appear to be as aggressive as it was as it continues to burn on the hillside.

“It definitely looks different than it did [Monday] night,” she said. “The fire, as I was telling my dad … the hours between 10:00 (a.m.) and 4:00 (p.m.) are the worst for fire behaviour, because you have wind, and you have heat, and obviously fuel.”

She calls those three elements the “three components of a fire triangle,” and adds the idea of fighting fires is to “knock one of those down.”

Having spoken with one local, she said the area has been described as looking like a war zone.

“I thought that was an exaggeration,” she said. “I know that’s just because they’re fighting the fire hard, that’s all. Because of the infrastructure and the homes nearby.”

Meantime, on the Sunshine Coast, the Sakinaw Lake fire north of Sechelt has spread to 3.8 hectares. The cause of this wildfire is still under investigation.

#BCWildfire personnel & helicopters responded to a new wildfire last night, ~26 km nw of #Sechelt. The Sakinaw Lake Wildfire (V51270) is ~3.8 ha. 16 personnel, 2 water tenders & 2 helicopters are currently onsite. A 20-person unit crew is en route. No structures are threatened. pic.twitter.com/5sHX59Qgy9

— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) August 6, 2019

“Fire crews are making good progress on the fire with 25 per cent containment at this point,” Fire Information Officer Jeanne Larsen explained.

It’s not threatening any infrastructure.

-With files from Nathan Durec