Wildfire grows near Penticton as more military crews join firefighters

Officials are warning that a wildfire burning southwest of Penticton, B.C., may affect operations at the local airport as crews made headway this weekend on several blazes in the province.

The City of Penticton says the so-called Skaha Creek fire is not threatening structures in the municipality, but the response may affect services at the Penticton Regional Airport as well as recreational boating on Skaha and Okanagan lakes.

The fire grew Monday to around two square kilometres in size and is now considered out of control. Over 50 personnel are currently fighting the fire, with more help expected to arrive Monday afternoon to support the B.C. Wildfire Service.

Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki said Sunday night was stressful for residents who could see flames near the city — but on Monday morning, only a bit of smoke could be seen coming from the fire. 

He said there's little fuel left to burn, so the fire has stopped growing at the moment.

"It makes me feel a lot better, and it also makes the community across the lake feel a lot better and safer at the present time," he said in an interview on CBC's The Early Edition on Monday morning.

However, he said the wind could shift at any moment. 

"We're just hoping there's not going to be anymore flares ... or embers flying and starting fire in different locations," Vassilaki said.

About 120 Canadian Armed Forces personnel were scheduled to arrive this weekend to assist with the out-of-control White Rock Lake fire west of Vernon, B.C., while firefighters from Mexico helped tackle a wildfire outside West Kelowna.

The B.C. Wildfire Service also reached significant milestones on several fires that were downgraded from out-of-control to being "held'' Saturday, including two blazes northwest of Castlegar.

The new classification means the fires are not likely to spread beyond existing boundaries under the current and forecasted conditions.

'Just be really cautious'

On Monday morning, there were 233 wildfires burning in the province, with 3,422 firefighters and other personnel currently responding to those fires.

Meanwhile, the number of evacuation orders and alerts in the province has been steadily falling. As of Monday, there were 3,927 properties on evacuation order compared to close to 7,000 two weeks ago.

The number of properties on evacuation alert in that time has dropped from more than 16,000 to 6,255 on Monday.

Wildfire officials are warning that even though crews are making progress, the wildfire season is still ongoing.

The service says the fire burning near Penticton, which started on Saturday, is suspected to be human caused.

"We are still in August here, and things are still fairly dry out there. So it's a reminder to everyone to just be really cautious with any activities they're taking on," said Tyler McDonald, a fire information officer.

A campfire ban remains in place for the region around Kamloops.

Controlled burns 

One of the many ways crews can help subdue a wildfire is by lighting controlled burns to help control the intensity of the fire. 

Fire information officer Forrest Tower says one such large planned ignition is set to take place at the White Rock Lake fire on Monday.

Tower says that has created some concern among nearby residents. But he told CBC News that although controlled burns can initially produce a lot of smoke, they're nothing to worry about. 

"It really keeps the fire from being able to move through that area in any further burning periods. And, so, there's a lot of benefits to it. And one of them is reduce smoke, but also to keep a lot more trees alive," he said.

In terms of the White Rock Lake fire, a controlled burn is one of the safest tactics to help the fire going into the fall months, Tower said.

It remains one of the largest active fires in B.C., at 813 square kilometres in size as of Monday.