Wildfire near Vernon contained after forcing evacuations

A Vernon city councillor says the wildfire that forced the evacuation of up to 100 homes is now fully contained. 

Dalvir Nahal lives in the Adventure Bay area near the city on the west side of Okanagan Lake above Tronson Road and was entertaining guests when they heard fire trucks coming.

"We walked up the street and then all of a sudden you could see the fire and it was a small fire and then within 20 to 25 minutes it just like blew up, you could see the trees just burning and just high, high fire," she said.

Vernon Fire and Rescue Services says its crews worked through the night battling the flames.

Captain Trevor Keenan says RCMP officers helped get approximately 60 residents from 100 homes out of the area, which is a new development located next to a forested area.

Firefighters responded around 9:30 p.m. PT on Saturday and Keenan says, so far, there does not appear to be any injuries.

Meanwhile, Nahal spent the night across the lake at her parent's house, and says there is no paved road up to where the fire is burning.

"That's undeveloped and it's all forest," she said. "There's a trail and it's all forestry, so that's why I think it just went so fast. There's a lot there for it to burn."

The fire follows the B.C. wildfire service's warning of increased risk for fires due to continued hot weather across the province.