Update: Sunday, 4:20 p.m.
BC Wildfire are working on the 885 hectare Eagle Bluff wildfire currently burning to the west of Osoyoos.
Black Press reporter Brittaney Webster is on scene in Osoyoos getting video of the air bombers spreading water on the blaze.
Crews hard at work in #Osoyoos fighting a fire that has evacuated over 700 properties @BlackPressMedia pic.twitter.com/aJNsNvvrx5
— Brittany Webster (@thebrittwebster) July 30, 2023
The Town of Osoyoos is asking that people refrain from entering the fire zone. The Town is also asking that lake users minimize their activities on the lake today to support firefighting activities in the area.
Fire retardant was being laid on the fire this morning.
UPDATE: Sunday, 10 a.m.
An evacuation order remains for 732 properties near the Eagle Bluff fire in Osoyoos on Sunday morning. Over 2,000 properties are on alert and property owners are being asked to move any animals or livestock.
Approximately 52 families registered at the Oliver Reception Centre as of 8 a.m. Sunday, July 3 with more residents registering online, according to the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen.
The now named Eagle Bluff fire, burning four kilometres from Osoyoos, is 885 hectares in size, according to BC Wildfire who flew over the blaze at 9:19 a.m. Sunday morning.
They have 23 firefighters on the ground, two helicopters, seven pieces of heavy equipment and a structural protection unit working on Sunday, said Shaelee Stearns, information officer for BC Wildfire Service.
BC Wildfire is expecting the same windy conditions and will adjust their attack on the fire accordingly, said Stearns. It isn’t known if any structures have been damaged by the wildfire.
The RDOS will be providing a live update at 1 p.m. on their Youtube channel.
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It was a harrowing, stressful night in Osoyoos with over 730 property owners and their animals having to evacuate around 11:30 p.m. from the Eagle Bluffs wildfire.
By Sunday morning, the size of the Eagle Bluff fire has ballooned from 2oo hectares to 885 ha as of the morning and continues to burn out of control.
Residents in the area of the fire were reporting that no water bombers or helicopters with buckets are on scene this morning as of 8 a.m.
The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen will have an update on the fire at 10 a.m.
The Town of Osoyoos has declared a state of emergency. DriveBC is not recommending people travel along Highway 3 between Keremeos and Osoyoos.
⚠️ TRAVEL ADVISORY ⚠️#BCHwy3 Forest fire between #Keremeos and #Osoyoos.
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) July 30, 2023
Travel is not recommend. Detour in effect via Highway 3A to Highway 97.
ℹ️ For more info: https://t.co/Vu9F6BEldv pic.twitter.com/IqqEOOlHc1
Around 10 p.m., the RDOS Emergency Operations Centre and the Town of Osoyoos issued an evacuation order for 732 properties in Electoral Area “A” and the Town of Osoyoos due to the Eagle Bluff wildfire (K52318). The order covers the area north of the Canada/U.S. border to the intersection of Hwy 97 and Hwy 3, west and north along Hwy 3.
Firefighters, RCMP and volunteers were going door to door to evacuate people.
Campers at Haynes Point already started to evacuate way before that as they saw flames coming too close for comfort around dinner time.
Heynes Pt #Osoyoos we are leaving. Many other campers packing up and leaving quickly. Its right on the outskirts of Osoyoos Golf Club headed NE @Kamscan @GlobalOkanagan @GlobalBC pic.twitter.com/e7U6m68NfI
— Kamloopsian (@kamloopsian1) July 30, 2023
Around midnight, a lucky break as the wind changed direction and sent the fire back onto itself.
A total of 2,094 properties in Electoral Area “A”, “B” and “C” and the Town of Osoyoos were put on alert just after midnight.
READ MORE: Evacuation alerts expand to over 2,000 with 732 evacuate as wildfire threatens Osoyoos
Ranchers and farmers quickly offered up their horse trailers and many took the time to gather up horses and take them to safety. Many offered their properties to keep horses and livestock. Others offered their homes to evacuees.
Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team (ALERT) was rescuing animals well into the night, including at the Desert Park Race Track which is where ALERT took in evacuated animals in the 2021 fires.
Contact ALERT if you need assistance with animals at 250-809-7152.
The Osoyoos Golf Course is under the evacuation order and is currently closed.
An Emergency Services reception centre was activated at the Oliver Community Centre located at 6359 Park Dr. in Oliver. Evacuees are being asked to visit the reception if they require supports. If you can stay with family or friends in the region, please do so, said the Town of Osoyoos ina press release.
The Eagle Bluffs wildfire in Oroville became very visible from Osoyoos around 2:30 p.m. on July 29 and then crossed over into Canada from the United States a couple hours later and continued to head north from strong southernly winds, threatening homes and properties.
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
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