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Fire chief re-appointed

Oliver fire chief Bob Graham has been re-appointed as head of the municipality's fire department for another three years. Town council approved...

Dump truck fire on Hwy 97

The Oliver Volunteer Fire Department quickly doused a dump truck fire Friday afternoon on Highway 97. Crews were called to the highway just south of...

Evacuations in Oliver

UPDATE 9 p.m. The Testalinden Creek fire is now estimated at 450 hectares in size. The blaze is burning aggressively due to open fuel and wind in the...

Crews douse brush fire

UPDATE 9:35 p.m. A full and rapid response from the Oliver Volunteer Fire Department brought the small brush fire under control relatively quickly....

Fire destroys Oliver home

A fire in Oliver left a family homeless on Father's Day. Firefighters were called to the rural home on River Road (99th Street) at 3 a.m. on June...

Hotel fire in Oliver a total loss

Details are still coming in, but firefighters confirm a major hotel fire happened in Oliver this morning. A spokesman with the Oliver Fire Department...

Anarchist Mountain Fire Department celebrates its first hydrant

A previously out-of-use fire hydrant has been sent to help out a South Okanagan community, where there isn't a municipal or community water system...

Crews hitting Vaseux Creek fire hard

Update: 9 p.m. Monday Fire crews are now mopping up the fire near Vaseux Creek, 9km north of Oliver. Ministry of Forests crews will monitor the fire...

Okanagan Falls Volunteer Fire Department calling for new recruits

Think you have what it takes to be a firefighter? The Okanagan Falls Volunteer Fire Department is looking for new recruits interested in joining a...

Fire destroys mobile home

Firefighters in Oliver spent Sunday evening battling a structure fire south of town. Crews were called to the area around Deadman Lake, near Highway...

Hot grease causes fire at pizza place

The kitchen at an Oliver pizza joint was the cause of a fire Saturday. The Oliver Fire Department responded to Almerio""s Pizza on 97th Street just...

Nk'Mip Creek wildfire grows north, shows 'aggressive' behaviour

UPDATE 9:41 p.m. The Oliver Fire Department has stated that a burn will be conducted by BCWFS to eliminate fuels in rough terrains. Smoke and flames...

Cars, tools damaged in fire

A fire at an auto wrecking yard in the South Okanagan has damaged a lot of tools. The Oliver fire department responded to a blaze at 89th Street just...

Osoyoos Fire Rescue hosting open house this weekend

Osoyoos Fire Rescue is hosting an open house this weekend, hoping to educate locals about the work they do and perhaps recruit some new members...

Fire Near Oliver

It wasn’t another grass fire, but it did require the assistance of the Oliver Fire Department. Oliver Fire Chief Dave Janzen says he sent five...

Best of South Okanagan 'good news' from 2023

As 2024 begins, Castanet is inviting readers to start on a positive note by looking back on a few of the most heartwarming community stories of the...

Grass fire cause unknown

Fire investigators are still trying to determine the cause of a grass fire that briefly raged out of control above an elementary school in Oliver...

Oliver Grass Fire

A grass fire broke out in Oliver Friday afternoon. Just a few minutes after noon, smoke was spotted next to the Vincor winery by Tuc-el-nuit Road....

Oliver Grass Fire

It took six units and nearly 50 men about six hours to contain a grass fire which broke out in Oliver Thursday afternoon. The fire started in a vacant...

Oliver Kitchen Fire

The Oliver Fire Department is warning people about leaving food unattended on stoves following a kitchen fire Monday night. Just before 10 p.m., fire...

South Okanagan Sheriffs, first responders will plunge into icy lake to raise money for the Special Olympics

It's going to be one cold afternoon in the lake for a group of emergency responders this March. Sherriff Francesco Murdocco is leading the charge...

Nk'Mip Creek still out of control as crews work to contain it

UPDATE: 5 p.m. The RDOS has lifted some evacuation orders related to the Nk'Mip Creek wildfire. Eight properties identified within the...

Plenty of spooky and family-friendly activities available in South Okanagan this Halloween weekend

Happy Halloween weekend, South Okanagan! The trick-or-treating won't begin until Monday, but there is plenty of spooky fun to be had in the...

South Okanagan family business grateful for community support after break-in on the heels of arson

A local family-owned grocery store is grateful to the community for an outpouring support after a devastating long weekend break-in. Global Grocers,...

Three major South Okanagan-Similkameen wildfires remain out of control as of Monday

Three large wildfires continue to burn in the South Okanagan-Similkameen. Thomas Creek The Thomas Creek wildfire, located northeast of Okanagan Falls,...

Australian firefighters arriving in B.C. this week

More international help is arriving on the frontlines of wildfires across B.C. Thirty-four Australian firefighters are landing in Vancouver on Tuesday...

Many properties in RDOS lifted from evacuation alert near Nk'Mip Creek wildfire

UPDATE: 5:10 p.m. The Nk'Mip Creek wildfire remains classified at out of control and sized at 16,005 hectares, no change from Thursday. ...

Evacuation rescinded

UPDATE: 4:05 p.m. The evacuation order for 188 homes near Osoyoos Friday night has been fully rescinded. The order was issued by the Osoyoos Indian...

South Okanagan-Similkameen major wildfires show no growth

The situation at the two remaining out-of-control wildfires in the South Okanagan-Similkameen continues to be positive for firefighters. Nk'Mip...

Nk'Mip Creek wildfire continues to be stalled thanks to help from Mother Nature

There continues to be good news from the Nk'MIp Creek wildfire northeast of Osoyoos. As cooler temperatures, higher humidity and some...

Fireworks could net big fine

UPDATE: 1 p.m. Coldstream Fire Chief Dave Sturgeon says his department was not called about a series of fireworks blasts reported last night. However,...

Osoyoos fire, emergency crews aided truck over embankment off Highway 3 in town

Osoyoos fire crews responded to a single-vehicle incident on Highway 3 Friday afternoon that briefly snarled traffic. Three trucks and 11 personnel...

Photos: Old RV camper parked longterm off Hwy 97 in OK Falls burnt up overnight

An old Fleetwood RV camper burned overnight at Vaseux Lake Provincial Park over the weekend, remaining like a charred skeleton along Highway 97. At...

Burn pile escapes into grass

South Okanagan firefighters are urging care while carrying out open burning after another escaped fire this weekend. The Anarchist Mountain Fire...

Osoyoos Fire Rescue learns air brake maintenance during weekend training

Osoyoos Fire Rescue vehicle operators got a crash course on air brakes last weekend. In a social media post issued Wednesday, the fire team said it...

Firefighters awarded for achievements and milestones at Osoyoos Fire Rescue

Osoyoos firefighters were recognized for their accomplishments at the fire department's yearly awards banquet over the weekend. In a social media...

Two Cawston fires under investigation; Lower Similkameen Indian Band issued evacuation orders

Two fires in Cawston remain under control after flaring up Monday afternoon, however one resulted in some residents being advised to evacuate by the...

Multi-vehicle crash between Osoyoos and Bridesville on Highway 3 required fire crews to use rope rescue

UPDATE: 10:55 a.m. A major crash that stalled traffic on Highway 3 and Courtenay Brown Road early Friday evening east of Osoyoos required rescue work...

Osoyoos Fire Rescue to host 'Cans in Command' parking lot food drive

Osoyoos Fire Rescue will be hosting its "Cans in Command" fundraiser to support the local food bank next weekend. In a social media post on...

Police chase ends in lake

UPDATE: 9 p.m. "On Thursday night, Oliver and Penticton officers were investigating a suspected stolen vehicle near Hwy 97 and Vaseaux Lake. Two...