PENTICTON, B.C. — An evacuation order for a fire in the southern interior of British Columbia has been rescinded while other areas are still seeing raging blazes.
Kim Wright, southeast fire centre information officer with the BC Wildfire Service, says the Solomon Mountain wildfire is under control.
The fire about four kilometres north of Beaverdell had prompted an evacuation alert by the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary.
However, the Doctor Creek fire near a village located at the southern end of Columbia Lake is now estimated to be 30 square kilometres in size.
Wright says the fire has been very aggressive partly because of the dryness of fuels in the area.
She says fighting the flames has been challenging for crews because of the steep and rocky terrain.
Wright says 40 firefighters, heavy equipment and helicopters have been working to contain the blaze.
The BC Wildfire Service says of the 543 fires recorded since April in the province, more than one-quarter have been sparked in the past seven days.
The service’s website shows many of the 154 fires this week were caused by lightning, and almost three dozen are listed as out of control.
The weather office called for a 60 per cent chance of showers with a risk of thunderstorms in the Penticton region Friday afternoon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2020.