Out-of-control wildfire burning near Peachland, B.C., prompts evacuation order

A wildfire burning near Peachland, B.C., quadrupled in size on Sunday, prompting an evacuation order for 15 properties.

Peachland Mayor Patrick Van Minsel said Monday that the town’s fire department is assisting the B.C. Wildfire Service as crews attempt to control the Glen Lake Fire, which is burning about 15 kilometres west of Peachland.

“There’s no reason to panic,” he said, speaking to CBC’s The Early Edition. “Our fire crew is on it. They developed some plans in case it comes a little bit closer, to protect structures.”

According to B.C. Wildfire Service data, the Glen Lake Fire has grown to 4.5 square kilometres since it was first discovered on Saturday. 

The fire is believed to be human-caused and, despite the mayor’s assurances, the B.C. Wildfire Service says the blaze is not responding to suppression efforts and poses a potential threat to public safety. 

Van Minsel said fire officials have a plan in place to protect the town’s infrastructure.

“According to our fire chief, it’s quite a long way from Peachland, and I’m very confident in our fire protection services — that they will get a handle on this,” he said.

Peachland is a district municipality on the west side of Okanagan Lake and has a population of approximately 5,000 people. The forecast for the region indicates a chance of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, there are 409 wildfires currently burning in the province.