(File photo/BC Wildfire Service)

By Pete McIntyre

Wildfire

UPDATE: Band issues update on White Rock Lake Fire

Jul 29, 2021 | 4:45 PM

UPDATE: 5:00 p.m.

The heavy smoke is preventing fire officials from getting an updated size estimate on the White Rock Lake fire, west of Vernon, still listed at 20,000 hectares.

The Okanagan Indian Band issued an update at 4:30 p.m.m saying “the fire has remained relatively consistent throughout the day.”

The White Rock Lake fire, which the OKIB Emergency Operations Center has been keeping an eye on, has remained relatively consistent throughout the day. The fire crews, which were mentioned in the earlier update, have gained an additional 15 support staff and an additional 2 helicopters, including one of the largest helicopters in the fleet, the sky crane. Wildfire crews are still looking to continue to allocate more resources towards this fire.
Guards continue to be created along the Salmon river Forest Service Road and George Road to the South. BC Wildfire is quite confident that they will be able to set up an anchor point, which would allow crews to have a base of attack on the fire.
The weather patterns continue to change towards this weekend, which will result in increased fire activity. BC Wildfire is currently updating their mapping, which should better allow them to predict which direction the fire will be traveling and allocate crews and resources appropriately.
The OKIB EOC will continue to monitor the status of the White Rock Lake fire and provide the community with updates as they come in. (Okanagan Indian Band/Facebook)

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‘Significant growth’ reported on White Rock Lake Fire July 29, 2021

The massive White Rock Lake fire west of Vernon is still estimated at 20,000 hectares — same as Wednesday — and no further evacuations or alerts have been issued since Tuesday.

However, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) is reporting significant growth on the fire overnight, with exact size mapping not yet completed.

The CSRD said the fire continues to challenge fire crews, and while some smoke may be lifting, the winds today (20 to 40 km/h from the northwest) will negatively impact fire behaviour.

The BC Wildfire Service is using planned burns along the southeast flank to help bring the fire perimeter closer to the Salmon River Forest Service Road where crews will be able to work.

“Planned ignitions along this flank are being carried out using Plastic Sphere Dispensers (PSD),” the BCWS explained. “PSDs accurately deploy golf-ball sized plastic spheres onto the landscape. Through a chemical reaction, the spheres ignite shortly after they reach the forest floor. This technique allows personnel to ignite manageable amounts of fuel in a timely and accurate manner.”

The White Rock Lake Fire is affecting properties in three regional districts (RDNO, CSRD, TNRD) and the Okanagan Indian Band.

Here are updates on other fires in the region from the CSRD as of 11:45 a.m. July 29:

Two Mile Fire, south of Sicamous

• Fire behaviour escalated over the past 24 hours. Extreme smoke conditions have hampered the aircraft’s abilities to fly and fight the blaze from the air.
• The fire is continuing to challenge firefighting efforts and fire behaviour is becoming more complex and especially difficult for ground crews.
• The priority is enhancing structural protection for the communities of Sicamous and Swansea Point.

Hunakwa Lake Fire, southeast of Seymour Arm

• Winds drove fire growth to the northwest up into higher elevations.
• Private industry continues to work on guards with heavy machinery.

Three Valley Lake, southwest of Revelstoke

• Fire behaviour was more active yesterday.
• The fire did not see significant growth. Where there was growth, it was in a direction away from the Three Valley Gap Chateau.

The Bunting Road Fire, east of Mabel Lake in the Regional District of North Okanagan, is still out of control with the BCWS reporting growth to the north and increased fire activity at the south end and the size at 3,000 hectares.

The Brenda Creek Fire, south of the Okanagan Connector, is still listed at 824 hectares.

The Nk’Mip Creek Fire, north of Osoyoos is estimated at 6,800 hectares, but the BCWS said Wednesday: “fire growth has been observed and aerial mapping has been requested but due to smoke conditions and fire behaviour, a track has not been able to be completed.”

The Thomas Creek Fire, north east of Okanagan Falls, is 7,918 hectares and out of control.

“Increased fire activity is expected to continue in the coming days as hot, dry, and windy conditions persist,” BCWS stated. “No precipitation is anticipated in the near future. These conditions may continue to challenge fire suppression efforts in the northern part of the fire.”