Semi-detached at the base of Mount Richter. UPDATE 2:45 p.m A new wildfire burning on Richter Mountain has now been downgraded from 40 to 30 hectares in size due to improved fire mapping. Fire information officer Karley Desrosiers, in a video press conference Friday afternoon, confirmed the fire started around 1 a.m. next to the 3 Freeway, but despite photos of a burned semi next to a smoldering hillside, he told callers the fire remains under investigation, and the cause has not been “officially confirmed.” “The fire moved up the mountain after it started near the highway this morning,” Desrosiers said. “It stalled a little when it got into the rockier terrain near the top where the fuel is a little thinner.” A total of 34 firefighters are tackling the fire with the help of helicopters. Desrosiers says ground crews are working on each side setting up a fire guard. Helicopters are buckets on top between these guards. The Richter Mountain fire is burning in an area where two previous fires burned, one just south and one slightly north. He says there was an area of unburnt fuel untouched by previous fires, allowing it to move uphill. UPDATE 11:20 AM The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has placed 29 properties on evacuation alert as a result of a new fire burning along Highway 3 between Osoyoos and Cawston. The fire, caused by a fire that broke out overnight, has reached an area of 40 hectares. The evacuation warning is for properties in the Sumac Road area along Highway 3. Click here to access the list of alerted properties. The alarm was issued due to the potential danger to life and health from the fire. Affected residents should prepare to evacuate their property if conditions warrant. UPDATE 10 a.m The BC Wildfire Service says a team of 33 ground crew members are now battling the blaze that started overnight from a vehicle fire on Highway 3 near Chopaka. The fire is now estimated at 40 hectares. It is also attacked by aerial means and the volunteer fire service of Keremeos. The Keremeos Creek Fire Incident Management Team just to the north is managing the fire, a BCWS spokesperson said. DriveBC reports that Highway 3 is still open to single-lane alternating traffic. “Limited visibility with smoke. Watch out for traffic personnel. Be prepared to pull over,” DriveBC said. ORIGINAL 6 am An overnight vehicle fire sparked a new wildfire west of Osoyoos. The fire is located between Osoyoos and Cawston near the Nighthawk turnoff and spread from the vehicle into the woods. The BC Wildfire Service dashboard shows a new kindling on Highway 3 estimated at four hectares in size, near Sumac Road. DriveBC first reported the incident at about 3:30 a.m Reports vehicle fire between Chopaka Road and Nighthawk Road. The highway is limited to single lane, alternating traffic for 6.6 km, from 18 km east of Keremeos to 20 km west of Osoyoos. Look out for traffic personnel and prepare to stop. Photo: DriveBC
