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Penticton and South Okanagan

Flames devour brush near Oliver

by Trevor Rockliffe - Story: 80652
Sep 18, 2012 / 4:49 pm

5:30 p.m. update: Hwy. 97 is open, alternating traffic on a single lane. The fire is under control and fire crews will remain onsite to mop-up and build a containment line around the charred site. 

Flames were reaching several metres into the sky before firefighters arrived to battle a fast moving brush fire between Vaseux Lake and Oliver Tuesday afternoon.

Light winds helped fan the fire to an estimated 1.5 hectares in size. It was reported around 3 p.m. 

Fire Information officer Michaela Swan says, "We are providing backup to the Oliver Fire department. There are five airtankers, a helicopter and 10 crew working the fire, along with the Oliver Fire Department."

Swan says it is now at a rank 1 fire.

"Our airtankers dropped retardant and that really helped to slow the spread of the fire. It is burning close to the highway, near Eagle Bluff."

At 3:30 p.m. Highway 97 was still closed to traffic from Gallagher Lake, to the north of the fire, and closed just North of Oliver. There is no detour.  There is no estimated time on when the highway will be open.

The information officer says more crews are heading to the location from Kamloops.

Shaw
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