B.C. Wildfires Updates: B.C. to provide update on situation Tuesday | Uncertain future for evacuees | Bald Range fire grows as police probe origin

The B.C. government has booked more than 1,000 hotel rooms across the Okanagan for wildfire evacuees, with more blocks being booked as accommodation becomes available.

People needing help finding a hotel room or a referral to group lodging can visit the reception centre at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, 273 Power St., Penticton or the Westbank Lions Community Hall, 2466 Main St., West Kelowna.

People can reach the B.C. Evacuee Helpline at 1-800-387-4258.

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At the closure on Highway 97, traffic keeps arriving — most of it turned back within seconds.

Some drivers pull up simply not knowing the road is shut, according to a flagger working the checkpoint.

Others come and slip through to check on their property. A few, the flagger said, have had to be chased down by police after trying to push past the closure between south of Peachland and the Summerland area.

Some told the flaggers they’d left their lawn sprinklers running and just wanted to get in to shut them off.

Only vehicles with permits are let through. One car came through on a pass to deliver food to firefighters.

The ban applies to all ATVs, motorcycles and off-road side-by-side vehicles. It does not apply to private lands or national parks, nor to agricultural, commercial or industrial users who need the vehicles for farming, business or emergency response.

“August is traditionally the most active month of the wildfire season,” said the ministry in a notice released Monday.

“Given the number of fires currently burning in B.C., the elevated fire danger ratings and the extremely dry conditions in many parts of the province, the B.C. Wildfire Service strongly urges people in British Columbia and visitors to stay out of the backcountry in these regions.”

Backcountry activity has the potential to unintentionally ignite wildfires, where it can be challenging and complex to get help or evacuate if one should start.

Anyone found violating the prohibition can be issued a ticket for as much as $1,150, and if the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible could be ordered to pay all firefighting and related costs.

To report a violation, call the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277.

“You could see the sky was glowing red. There was lots of smoke,” Strickland said. “We were getting snowed on by ash … It was getting pretty bad.”

The group stayed at the campsite, watching as winds appeared to push the fire and smoke away from them. But when winds abruptly changed direction, Strickland said conditions quickly deteriorated.

“The wind shifted, and we felt temperatures climbing like 30 degrees,” he said. “We all knew: oh, that’s not good.”

Within minutes, he said, the evacuation alert came. “We packed up as quick as we could, and then got out of there.”

“The conditions were really bad. It was hard to breathe. It was very, very smoky,” he said.

The group drove to Penticton and spent the night in a Walmart parking lot. Deteriorating air quality there quickly made staying in the area impossible, Strickland said.

With Highway 97 closed, they eventually made their way east to Cranbrook, where they remained Sunday.

— Calgary Herald

The B.C. Wildfire Service is warning that there is a “high potential” for more lightning-caused wildfires, especially in B.C.’s central Interior and Okanagan.