Spot fire in Fintry Provincial Park was extinguished Wednesday

UPDATE 4:55 p.m.

Central Okanagan Emergency Operations announced evacuation orders and alerts will remain in place overnight.

CORD notes the White Rock Lake fire has been active today and is still listed as out of control.

A detailed map showing the present status of Orders and Alerts affecting properties within the RDCO is available here.

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UPDATE: 2:35 p.m.

Some more light rain in the North Okanagan Thursday is helping firefighters working on the White Rock Lake wildfire.

BC Wildfire Service fire information officer Hannah Swift says aerial efforts are currently focused on the fire's eastern flank.

A machine guard line along Irish Creek is just about done, Swift said.

The northern edge between Monte Lake and Pritchard is "looking quite quiet," Swift added during a Thompson-Nicola Regional District conference call.

"Things are looking really good" along the north finger, east of Monte Lake.

Structure protection personnel and ground crews remain along Westside Road.

"They’re patrolling and extinguishing any hot spots that remain," said Swift.

The fire is burning "incredibly deep" due to drought conditions, she added.

"We're seeing entire tree root systems burn out, so it does burn in the ground."

On the fire's southeast corner, there was a flare-up Wednesday and a one-hectare spot fire that was extinguished in Fintry Provincial Park.

"The drought conditions are quite extreme, so we are seeing growth even after the reprieve we had," said Swift.

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UPDATE: 10:40 a.m.

Crews continued to patrol affected areas and action spot fires over the past 24 hours and overnight at the White Rock Lake wildfire.

“Yesterday was a day of healing as a number of support agencies were escorted by North Westside Fire Rescue into the area,” says Fire Chief Alex Van Bruksvoort. “Pets were rescued, areas of damage were mapped and we were able to welcome residents back to areas that were taken off evacuation order and put on alert.”

Further assessment of properties in the Ewings Landing and Killiney areas was conducted Wednesday, and five additional properties have been identified as sustaining significant damage.

“North Westside Fire Rescue has been busy putting out many spot fires, including a dock fire to save a boat on its lift and multiple trees and stumps. This is all work being done so we can allow residents back it once the area is safe,” says Van Bruksvoort.

Emergency Operations Centre staff have been in touch with most property owners whose homes were impacted and will continue to notify residents directly.

Officials say it's important for all evacuated residents to register with Emergency Support Services at ess.gov.bc.ca even if they don't need assistance as this is one way residents will be contacted when there is an update on the status of their property and when it is deemed safe to provide escorted tours through the affected areas.

Evacuated residents can call 1-833-498-3770 to register and access assistance, such as lodging and food, from Emergency Support Services.

Despite an outpouring of support from the community, ESS says it has enough accommodation for evacuees, and offers of private accommodation cannot be co-ordinated at this time.

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UPDATE: 9:40 a.m.

The BC Wildfire Service says objectives have been re-established since the destructive wind event on Aug. 15 that saw the fire sweep down into Westside neighbourhoods, and suppression efforts continue on all flanks of the wildfire.

On Wednesday, Rank 1 and 2 fire behaviour was observed on most flanks.

Rank 1 refers to a smouldering ground fire, while Rank 2 is a low-vigour surface fire.

"The most active area of the fire yesterday was along Westside Road, north of Fintry Park, where current drought conditions are already causing fuels to dry out again," the wildfire service says.

Air support will continue to support ground crews with suppression activities throughout the day today.

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ORIGINAL: 6:50 a.m.

Despite recent rains, drought conditions are already causing fuels to dry out again at the White Rock Lake wildfire.

In a Wednesday night update, the BC Wildfire Service says fire activity remains low throughout the perimeter, however.

The most active area of the fire Wednesday was along Westside Road, north of Fintry Park.

Air support was active throughout the day.

BCWS continues to monitor the south and west flanks of the fire. No growth has been observed along the west flank over the past week. A 50-kilometre contingency guard has been established south of the fire perimeter from Chapperon Lake moving eastward towards Fintry Park.

On the east flank, crews, equipment, and aerial resources will continue to defend pre-established containment lines above communities.

Heavy equipment continues to work on constructing containment lines from Birch Crescent to Naswhito Creek and from Beau Road to Cherry Plantation.

Officers are continuously assessing fire progression to develop a plan for any breaches of the containment line, the BCWS says.

On the northeast flank, south of Glenemma, heavy equipment continues guard construction at Irish Creek, working westward, and from Cedar Creek working eastward. Firefighters are also working in the wildland urban interface, mopping up and extinguishing hot spots.

Firefighters are holding the line on the north flank, where a successful planned ignition was recently completed. Very little wildfire growth has been observed on the northwest flank in recent days.

Mop-up activity is taking place on Adelphi Forest Service Road to Woods Lake, Grange FSR west to Douglas Road, from Biancotto Lake north to Paxton Lake, and from the Onion guard north to Highway 97.

The fire was last estimated to have burned 81,139 hectares and remains out of control.