UPDATE 8:40 p.m. The City of Vernon reports that the wildfire near Ellison Provincial Park is contained and Okanagan Landing Road has been reopened.
“Campers and residents can go home now,” states the city in a Twitter feed.
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Efforts are underway to keep a wildfire in Vernon from spreading.
A two-hectare blaze is currently burning near Ellison Provincial Park.
“It’s a surface fire and not really getting into the trees although it did earlier,” said Kayla Pepper, an information officer with the Kamloops Fire Centre.
The fire centre has 23 firefighters on site and is working with 30 firefighters from the Vernon Fire Department. Two groups of air tankers have created a perimeter with retardant while helicopters have been bucketing water from Okanagan Lake.
About 250 people were evacuated from Ellison Provincial Park.
“We were evacuated from the beach at Ellison park,” said Suzanne Beugeling, a Morning Star advertising consultant.
“The fire looked pretty bad when we drove by.”
The City of Vernon reports that the Outback resort is on alert.
“The fire has died down and wind dropping,” says the city’s Twitter feed.
Okanagan Landing Road has been closed to traffic at Paddlewheel Park.
