Wildfire on hillside east of Vernon. (Photo credit: Ryan Doherty)

By Pete McIntyre

east of Vernon

UPDATE: Becker Lake Fire no longer ‘out of control’

Jul 13, 2021 | 10:00 AM

UPDATE 10:00 a.m.

Good news on the Becker Lake Fire east of Vernon.

The BC Wildfire Service says that blaze, which was reported on July 10, is now classified as “being held” (had been ‘out of control’), and has not shown any growth over the last couple days, still at 35 hectares.

The progress on the site allowed the District of Coldstream and the Regional District of North Okanagan to rescind an evacuation alert covering several hundred homes.

There is still smoke coming from the fire area, and crews continue to work and monitor the site.

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Evacuation alert lifted for Becker Lake fire
Jul 12, 2021 | 6:25 PM

Several hundred homes in Coldstream and Regional District of North Okanagan Area C are no longer under an evacuation alert due to the Becker Lake fire.

The District of Coldstream and RDNO rescinded the alert at 6:25 p.m. Monday.

“Based upon the recommendation from the BC Wildfire Service, the Regional District of North Okanagan is rescinding the Evacuation Alert for properties in Electoral Area “C”. The District
of Coldstream is also rescinding its Evacuation Alert in the area,” a news release stated.

The alert was issued Sunday afternoon (July 11) due to the Becker Lake fire which the Wildfire Service said did not grow from Sunday to Monday, and was still 35 hectares, but was classified as ‘out of control,’ meaning not contained.

Properties affected and now rescinded from the evacuation alert include:

District of Coldstream
Ravine Dr., Ranchland Pl., Cypress Dr., Ridgemont Dr., Rockland Dr. Upland Dr.,Upper Crestview, Fairmont Pl. Crestview Dr.,Jeffrey Dr., Scenic Dr. Auburn Ct., Hymar Pl., North Side Buchanan Rd.(8600blk- 9800blk), Midland Pl., Nickle Rd., Upland Hts., Terrace Dr.

RDNO- Area C
Robin Rd., Galiano (715-1294), Boss Ck Rd. (3965- onwards), French Rd., Greenwood Rd., South Side Hartnell RD., Kingsview Rd., Lynx Dr.,

Watch the Tractor 802 fire boss planes in action, each one drops about 800 gallons of water.

Evacuation alert extended for Becker Lake fire, now a ‘fire of note’
Jul 12, 2021 | 1:25 PM

The evacuation alert for the Becker Lake Fire east of Vernon will remain in place for at least a few hours more.

“Based upon the recommendation from the BC Wildfire Service, the Evacuation Alert status for the Becker Lake area will remain in place until further assessment is completed. Update not expected until 6:00 p.m., Monday, July 12,” said a tweet from the District of Coldstream.

The evacuation alert was issued for properties in Coldstream and RDNO Area C Sunday afternoon as a precaution to ensure residents were prepared to leave their homes should the fire start to move their way.

The Wildfire Service said today the fire has shown no growth since Sunday, still at 35 hectares, but is still classified as ‘out of control,’ with more than 40 personnel and helicopters working at the site.

“The conditions of the Becker fire are stable, with no growth seen overnight,” a joint news release from RDNO and Coldstream stated. “The fire is still considered uncontained at this time. BC Wildfire Service crews continue to action in the air and on the ground. Please note that if fire suppression equipment is drafting water from any lake, DO NOT boat, kayak or paddle board etc. in the vicinity. These recreational activities can halt suppression efforts. Additionally, drone flights will ground all aircrafts and helicopters. The RDNO continues to encourage residents to complete or review emergency plans and kits. More information on preparedness can be found at the PreparedBC website.”

UPDATE – Evacuation Alert for Becker Lake Fire
Based upon the recommendation from the BC Wildfire Service, the Evacuation Alert status for the Becker Lake Area will remain in place until further assessment is completed. Update not expected until 6:00 PM, Monday, July 12, 2021.

— Coldstream (@ColdstreamDist) July 12, 2021

UPDATE 10:00 a.m. July 12

View of Becker Lake fire from 15th Street near Vernon Secondary. The fire site is hard to see, given the extra smoke in the area, but you can see the smoke near the top of the hill. (Pete McIntyre/Vernon Matters photo)

The Becker Lake fire east of Vernon, has not grown since Sunday, still listed at 35 hectares.

The fire, which started Saturday from unknown causes, still has about 40 personnel, heavy equipment and helicopters working on it today.

The evacuation alert issued Sunday afternoon for homes in Coldstream and RDNO Area C is still in effect.

That fire is still classified as ‘out of control’ and is now listed as a “Fire of Note” by the Wildfire Service.

“There is a number of factors that can lead to a fire being established as a fire of note. In this case, it was due to the evacuation alerts being issued,” Taylor Shantz, information officer with the BCWS, told Vernon Matters.

The Clerke Road fire off Highway 97 south of Vernon is still classified as “being held.”

The following photo shows how part of the site looks today.

Clerke Road fire site near Kalamalka Lakeview Drive on July 12. The fire is still classified as ‘being held.” (Photo credit: Craig Foster)

There are 307 active fires in B.C. this morning, with 101 in the Kamloops Fire Centre.

—

An Evacuation Alert has been issued by District of Coldstream and the RDNO Electoral Area C due to a potential risk from wildfire

The alert is for the following areas:

District Of Coldstream

Ravine Dr., Ranchland Pl., Cypress Dr., Ridgemont Dr., Rockland Dr. Upland Dr.,Upper Crestview, Fairmont Pl. Crestview Dr.,Jeffrey Dr., Scenic Dr. Auburn Ct., Hymar Pl., North Side Buchanan Rd. (8600blk- 9800blk), Midland Pl., Nickle Rd., Upland Hts.

RDNO – Area C

Robin Rd., Galiano (715-1294), Boss Ck Rd. (3965- onwards), French Rd., Greenwood Rd., South Side Hartnell RD., Kingsview Rd., Lynx Dr.

An Evacuation Alert has been issued to prepare you to evacuate your premises or property should it be found necessary. Residents will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to evacuation; however you may receive limited notice due to changing conditions.

No growth on Becker Lake fire, evacuation alert issued for homes in Coldstream and RDNO Area C
Jul 11, 2021 | 6:40 PM

The B.C. Wildfire Service has issued an update on the Becker Lake fire east of Vernon.

The fire is still estimated at 35 hectares in size, same as this morning, and is still classified as ‘out of control.’

“We have 31 personnel on site today. They were being assisted by helicopters and heavy equipment,” Aydan Coray, fire information officer, told Vernon Matters at 6:15 p.m.

Coray said the six-plane water skimmer team was working on the fire this afternoon, dropping water, or water and foam, on the blaze.

“They work as a team with a bird dog (guide plane), and the bird dog will go in and let them know the best place to drop. They work as a team to synchronize their drop,” Coray explained.

An evacuation alert was issued Sunday afternoon for homes in Coldstream and RDNO Area C (see below for details) to ensure those properties are ready to evacuate should it be necessary.

UPDATE 1:53 p.m. Evacuation Alert issued for Becker Lake Area

An Evacuation Alert has been issued by District of Coldstream and the RDNO Electoral Area C due to a potential risk from wildfire

The alert is for the following areas:

District Of Coldstream

RDNO – Area C

Robin Rd., Galiano (715-1294), Boss Ck Rd. (3965- onwards), French Rd., Greenwood Rd., South Side Hartnell RD., Kingsview Rd., Lynx Dr.

An Evacuation Alert has been issued to prepare you to evacuate your premises or property should it be found necessary. Residents will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to evacuation; however you may receive limited notice due to changing conditions.

The BC Wildfire Service has not had any reports of new growth on the Becker Lake fire today, but said they expected an update on the fire around 6:30 p.m. (new time).

“Alerts are really just to make sure the public is aware of what’s going on in the area should they need to evacuate,” Taylor Shantz, BCWS information officer told Vernon Matters.

At last report around 11 a.m. today, the fire was 35 hectares and had 40 personnel working on the site.

See Map Below showing alert area outlined in yellow

Evacuation alert map. Submitted image/RDNO/Coldstream)

Please note: This map is not specific to any particular address within the shown evacuation alert boundary, but a general guideline. Any property in close proximity to the wildland should be prepared, and ready to evacuate during threatened times.]

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:

· Locate all family members and designate a meeting area outside the evacuation area, should an Evacuation Order be called while separated.

· Pack essential items such as government-issued ID, medications, eyeglasses, valuable papers (e.g. insurance, credit, and mortgage information), immediate care needs for dependents and, if time and space permits, keepsakes for quick departure.

· Prepare to move persons with disabilities, children and/or neighbours, if assistance is needed.

· Prepare to take pets with you and move livestock to a safe area (if possible).

· Arrange transportation for all your household members. Fill the gas tanks of personal vehicles.

· Arrange accommodation for all members of the residence, if possible.

· Wait for an Evacuation Order to be issued before evacuating.

Further information will be issued at 6:00pm July 11, 2021 on social media and www.rdno.ca and www.coldstream.ca.

To ensure you are prepared in the event of an emergency see: Get Prepared for a Wildfire in British Columbia – Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca).

UPDATE 11 a.m.

There is still smoke coming from the Becker Lake wildfire east of Vernon that is listed at 35 hectares in size.

“It did not see growth overnight, which is great news,” said Noelle Kekula, fire information officer with the BC Wildfire Service.

The fire was first noticed Saturday afternoon, and drew considerable attention from provincial and local crews, both in the air and on the ground.

Helicopters and air tankers worked the site, dropping retardant lines around the blaze which has an unknown cause.

BC Wildfire had 20 personnel working the site Saturday, and 40 are expected to be on the scene Sunday.

The fire is still classified as ‘out of control.’

“Until we have it guarded and we have a good wet line within that guard, it often will stay in that out of control status,” Kekula told Vernon Matters.

Aerial crews had to shut down for about two hours for safety reasons due to a drone flying in the fire area.

“It’s extremely frustrating as (drones) impact our air operations,” Wildfire information officer Aydan Coray told Global News.

Becker Lake fire on July 10. (Photo credit: Randi Buerfeind/Hell Yeah Vernon Group/Facebook)

There are a number of homes in the general area of the fire but no properties are in the immediate path of the fire which was burning up the hill in an easterly direction Saturday.

The Clerke Road wildfire off Highway 97 in Coldstream is still listed as ‘being held,’ and 43 hectares.

“We have a few crew on it, monitoring it and extinguishing the hot spots,” Kekula said.

There are 301 fires burning in B.C. today, with 105 in the Kamloops Fire Centre.

Check the BC Wildfire Service site for more details.

Kekula says a wind change has brought more smoke into areas of the Okanagan and Kamloops.

Crews make progress on new wildfire east of Vernon Jul 10, 2021 | 4:10 PM

It appears crews are making good progress on the Becker Lake fire just east of Vernon which is very visible throughout the city and area.

Air tankers look to have boxed-in the blaze by dropping retardant on the flanks, and the fire does not appear to have grown much since it was first noticed just after 1 p.m.

Information officers from the wildfire service were not available after 4:00 p.m. to update the fire status but the service’s website lists the fire at 0.01 of a hectare, and its status as ‘new.’

No evacuation alerts or orders have been issued as a result of the fire, with the cause not known.

There are 103 active wildfires in the Kamloops Fire Centre today, and 277 in B.C.

UPDATE: Crews action new wildfire east of Vernon Jul 10, 2021 | 2:50 PM

The B.C. Wildfire Service continues to attack the Becker Lake wildfire on the hillside east of Vernon, from the ground and the air.

Photo credit: Shanda Hammerton)

Helicopters were earlier bucketing water onto the site and now air tankers are dropping retardant to try and limit the spread.

While there are no homes in the immediate path of the fire, there are many in the general area.

We are not aware of any evacuation orders or alerts at this point.

#BCWildfire Service (BCWS) is responding the Becker Lake wildfire (K41727). It is ~1.0 ha and is currently “Out of Control.” 4 BCWS personnel and 2 helicopters are en route and will receive assistance from airtankers. The fire is very visible from #VernonBC and surrounding areas. pic.twitter.com/SQqdrZ9nHv

— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) July 10, 2021