Return of hot, dry conditions to fuel B.C. Interior wildfires following weekend rains

KAMLOOPS (NEWS 1130) — B.C.’s southern Interior is expected to see a return to hot, dry conditions, fuelling a more than 550-square kilometre wildfire that had its growth stalled over the weekend by rain.

Temperatures are expected to rise into the low to mid 30s by mid-week and last into the weekend.

“Hot air builds in under a strengthening ridge of high pressure by the end of the week, but it only looks like a three day run from Thursday through Saturday along the coast and it looks like from Friday through Sunday through the southern Interior where we will see some temperatures up into the low to maximum mid 30s,” NEWS 1130 meteorologist Michael Kuss said.

While temperatures are not expected to be as hot as they were in late June, Forrest Tower with the B.C. Wildfire Service says the current rage of temperature mixed with the lower relative humidity “will just bring us back right back to that aggressive behaviour.”

Weekend rain provided crews some relief, Tower says, allowing them to access areas that were previously unsafe.

Today, crews took advantage of favourable winds to successfully complete a 300 ha planned ignition along the northeast flank of the Thomas Creek fire, currently burning approximately 3 kms northeast of Okanagan Falls. pic.twitter.com/ZJekBmtKk2

— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) August 7, 2021

There are 278 wildfires burning across the province, with 66 evacuation orders and thousands of people out their homes. The province has 3,583 firefighting crews battling flames.

At least 155 firefighters are battling the White Rock Lake fire burning between Kamloops and Okanagan Lake. The fire has forced thousands from their homes along a now-closed stretch of Highway 97 in the southern Interior and has grown to an estimated 550-square kilometres.

There’s no change in Evacuation Orders & Alerts in the RDCO for the White Rock Lake wildfire.
Next anticipated update from https://t.co/7ECUduQpIr late this afternoon.
The ESS reception centre open from 12 – 8 pm today – 1480 Sutherland Avenue in Kelowna. pic.twitter.com/SEGnolFAQP

— Central Ok Emergency (@CO_Emerg) August 8, 2021

Evacuation orders and alerts stretch from several neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Kamloops to Chase in the north and Enderby and Vernon in the east.

Most of Vernon, a city of more than 45,000, is on evacuation alert.W

 

(as of Aug 8/21 @ 4:15 pm)
An Evacuation ALERT remains in place for the following areas (please see map):

– Canadian Lakeview Estates
– Adventure Bay
– Tronson Road between 8125 to 9280

Read more: https://t.co/oCVrHsdnhw pic.twitter.com/1v2HeHH6Qi

— City of Vernon (@CityofVernon) August 8, 2021

With files from Jonathan Szekeres and THE CANADIAN PRESS