Peachland wildfire burns close to highway, threatens home

Dozens of firefighters are battling a 30-hectare wildfire Friday between Peachland and West Kelowna that is burning very close to Highway 97C.

The good news is that the blaze just north of the Okanagan Connector did not grow overnight, according to Kelsey Winter, a fire information officer with the wildfire management branch.

A local state of emergency remains in place after the evacuation of one threatened West Kelowna home.

• On mobile? Click here to watch video of the fire, courtesyCastanet.net
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"The same kinds of winds today, just that same northeasterly pushupslope, is good," Winter said. "It takes it away from the highway and away from the homes."

That said, there's still a lot of fuel on the ground, he said.

"Grass and open timber, and there's a lot of needles on the ground so that was one of the things that was generating all the smoke yesterday. We are heading into a period of hot and dry temperatures so that doesn't make anything easier."

One westbound lane of Highway97Chas also been closed four kilometres west of the junction with Highway 97, and the public isurged to use this route only if necessary.

Forestry officials say the cause of the Drought Hill fire is under investigation but it is suspected to have been sparked by humans.

On mobile? Click here to watch Castanet.netYouTube video of Peachlandfirefighting

Crews from B.C. Wildfire management as well as 35 firefighters from West Kelowna and Peachland are on the ground fighting the fire.

Three helicopters, two air tankers and four skimmers are also involved in the fire fighting effort. The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre says more fire crews are on the way.

Updates are available onCORDE's Facebook page and on its Twitter account.

MAP: 4700 block of MacKinnon Road, Peachland, B.C.