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Penticton  

Orange plume blocks sun

The B.C. Wildfire Service says it's likely the large plume of orange smoke that rolled over the Penticton area last hour is coming from the complex of fires burning in the Similkameen.

Crews are responding to a 50-hectare fire west of Olalla, as well as a 100-hectare blaze in the remote Cool Creek area, northwest of Cathedral Provincial Park.

Fire information officer Steve Kada says crews are in the process of gathering information and developing a plan of attack for the Cool Creek blaze, as well as dealing with four other smaller starts in the area.

Most are suspected to have been caused by lightning. None are threatening homes.

Air traffic from the tanker base at the Penticton airport has been very busy throughout the day, although the BC Wildfire Service could not specify which fires the tankers have been heading to.

The 13,300-hectare Snowy Mountain wildfire south of Keremeos also continues to burn, but is considered “held” by the BCWS.



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