Information meeting called on Botanie fire, guards being built at Mount McAllister

NEWS/ WILDFIRES — A public meeting has been scheduled for Sunday, July 20 at 2 p.m. at the Parish hall in Lytton to provide information regarding the Botanie Road wildfire.

Various agencies involved with the wildfire will be in attendance to provide updates and answer questions regarding the fire, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District Emergency Operation Centre said today.

Evacuation orders and alerts remain in effect near the fire.

The Parish hall is at 140-7th St. in Lytton. A previous meeting was held Friday.

The Botanie Road fire has reached 1,500 hectares but the Wildfire Management Branch said that estimate was done before smoke obscured the area. The smoke prevented air tankers from dropping retardant yesterday afternoon.

Crews patrolled the fire overnight.

The Smith Creek fire near West Kelowna remained at 250 hectares, according to a report from the wildfire branch this morning (Saturday). It is 20 per cent contained but an evacuation order for 2,500 residents is still in effect.

An evacuation order also remains in effect at Murray Lake near the old Coquihalla toll booth, and an evacuation alert is in effect at Apex Mountain in the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen. That fire is now 50 per cent contained.

The biggest fire in the province, the Mount McAllister fire west of Chetwynd, is still at 16,000 hectares as firefighters work at controlling the advance of the head of the fire with controlled burnoffs.

The District of Hudson’s Hope has rescinded an evacuation order but an alert remains in effect. Several smaller communities remain evacuated.

“The weather is cooperating, allowing crews to line-locate and begin dozer guard construction,” said the wildfire branch. “Crews will be working swing shifts to maximize production during this opportunity.”