The Goode’s Creek fire has more than doubled, but it is burning south away from Kelowna, according to Glen Burgess, incident commander for the Okanagan Complex Fire Camp with BC Wildfire Service.
“We’re not spending a lot of energy to worry about perimeter containment, it’s more about the values protection,” he said. The fires will be monitored, but as long as it doesn’t threaten homes, “fire there is ecologically acceptable there,” he said.
BC Wildfire Service is still looking at monitoring plan with BC Parks and the Penticton Indian Band for the fires in the park, he said.
The Goode’s Creek fire was previously listed as 577 hectares, but it’s now 1,370 hectares.
The fires will also continue to produce smoke, which is expected to blow towards Kelowna, but “that does not mean the fire is burning towards Kelowna,” Burgess said.
Boaters have been causing problems on the lake, as the fire has spread to the shoreline, and boaters are still trying to use it, Burgess said.
The RCMP had to get involved, he said.
There are currently three fires in Okanagan Mountain Park, one has been active over the past few days, as crews are working to protect a guide outfitter’s cabin but not on perimeter containment, he said.
READ MORE: Okanagan wildfire round-up: Public urged to stay away from inactive wildfires
The Glenfir fire near Naramata is fully resourced, and crews will work the entire perimeter in the next day or so, to increase the fire’s status to held.
A previous lightning strike caused a small fire in the Smith Creek area near West Kelowna. Crews have been working to contain it, he said.
It could have been smouldering until it found drier fuel, he said.
The heat has posed a problem today for firefighters, so they are combating it by swimming in the lake, Burgess said.
“We’ve been handing out freezies for explementary behaviour,” he said.
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