Update: 8:39 p.m., July 19
Evacuation alerts and orders are being considered as an aggressive fire continues to grow north of Osoyoos.
The Inkaneep Creek fire has grown to 700 hectares. It is located on Osoyoos band land approximately six kilometres north of Osoyoos.
An evacuation order has already been issued by the Osoyoos band for addresses on Nk’Mip Road, Black Sage Raod, Sandpoint Drive, Harmony Crescent, Spud Allen Road, Manuals Canyon Road, Arrowhead Road, McKinney Road, Sage Road, Tuc-el-nuit Drive, Sen Pok Chin Boulevard and Pineridge Drive. A reception centre for evacuees has opened at the Oliver Community Centre.
The band has also issued an evacuation alert for properties on Radio Tower Road.
In response, the Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen says evacuation alerts and orders are pending and a State of Local Emergency has been declared.
Original story:
Around 230 homes are without power or internet due to the very large fire has erupted on Inkaneep Road north of Osoyoos Lake Monday afternoon.
Around 4 p.m., the Oliver Fire Dept. took to Facebook saying they are “currently responding to a large fire on Inkaneep Road. We are asking people to stay clear of the area. Further updates to come.”
There has been reports that homes are threatened and there has been evacuations but there is nothing to confirm that at the moment.
There are horses and cows in the area around the fire.
Several people have been posting pictures from social media showing a huge plume of smoke, saying the fire is northeast of the Cottages.
The BC Wildfire dashboard is calling it the Black Sage Road fire and it is listed as 0.1 hectares in size.
The fire is near Radio Tower Road and more towards Osoyoos.
Some media reporters is that air tankers have already arrived as have helicopters.
The Penticton Western News will update this story as information becomes available.
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
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A large new fire has erupted on Inkameep Road in Oliver Monday afternoon, July 19, 2021. (Lisa Green Berry photo. Facebook)
