Over 500 evacuated Osoyoos residents got to go home on Monday thanks to the efforts of B.C. Wildfire Service crews and local firefighters battling the Eagle Bluff Wildfire.
Currently, only 192 properties remain under order, down from 732 which were initially evacuated on July 29. Those previously under order will be under alert. There are now a total of 2,635 properties under alert.
The properties remaining under evacuation order include the Osoyoos Industrial Park in the Town of Osoyoos, all properties south of Highway 3 from the Town of Osoyoos boundaries to Nighhawk Road in Electoral Area 害羞草研究所淏害羞草研究所� (Rural Osoyoos), Parts of Electoral Areas 害羞草研究所淎害羞草研究所� (Cawston) and 害羞草研究所淏害羞草研究所� including the Kilpoola and Spotted Lake areas south of Highway 3
Residents in the Pinehurst neighbourhood were allowed to go back home and got to see first hand how close the fire came to wiping out their properties.
Several residents commented about how grateful they are to the fire crews for saving their homes, including Claudia Ryan Wood.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 good to be home,害羞草研究所� she said.
As of Monday, July 31, the fire had swelled to over 1,450 hectares following its burst up across the border on Saturday night.
Shaelee Stearns of the BC Wildfire Service said at the briefing that the fire grew to more than 14 square kilometres on the Canadian side, while authorities in Washington have said it measures more than 40 square kilometres on the U.S. side.
Stearns said 61 B.C. firefighting personnel, including night crews, are working to control the blaze, focusing on the eastern flank of the fire, 害羞草研究所渨hich is the side of the fire that害羞草研究所檚 closer in proximity to the city.害羞草研究所�
Heavy equipment, structural protection crews and aerial resources are also working on the fire.
BC Wildfire Service is expecting to continue to see dry conditions, including a south-west flow of wind, however during the briefing to the public, they did note that because of the terrain, the direction of the wind is not consistent across the entire fire and capable of changing through the day.
Stearns said 害羞草研究所済ood progress害羞草研究所� has been made in combating the fire so far, but no rainfall is expected this week.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e still looking at drier weather, hotter and dry weather for the rest of the week here and it害羞草研究所檚 something that we害羞草研究所檒l continue to kind of monitor,害羞草研究所� she said.
The western front of the fire has been showing a large amount of activity, and on the eastern front the winds blew the fire back onto ground that had already been scorched by the fire.
South across the border the fire has grown to over 4,100 hectares burned as of July 31, with four structures lost and 250 personnel on scene, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
An incident management team from the BC Wildfire Service will be arriving to take over the fire from the Kamloops Fire Centre on Aug. 1. The BC Wildfire camp has been set up at in Okanagan Falls.
The town of Osoyoos has a population of about 5,000, but that is swollen in summer by visitors who come to enjoy the town害羞草研究所檚 lake and surroundings.
They included Vancouver real estate agent Walter Wells, who arrived at the Watermark Beach Resort with his wife on Friday, to celebrate their 25th anniversary. He said they thought the nearby fire might cause smoky skies, but didn害羞草研究所檛 foresee the terrifying night that unfolded Saturday.
害羞草研究所淥n the southernmost part of the hills, we saw, to our horror, a massive line of orange fire was cresting the hill. We couldn害羞草研究所檛 believe it and it was just massive,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview Monday.
害羞草研究所淲e could see trees almost exploding. It would just catch a big tree and it would just burst up in flames.害羞草研究所�
He said an emergency alert came through their phones around 11 p.m. Saturday and their hotel told them to be ready to leave at a moment害羞草研究所檚 notice.
害羞草研究所淲e were on alert, but we were extremely close to the fire and we were truly scared,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 one thing to watch it on TV, but the mountain was on fire right above us.害羞草研究所�
He said he and his wife decided it wasn害羞草研究所檛 safe to leave Saturday, but on Sunday they packed up and left on a four-hour drive north to Wells害羞草研究所檚 brother害羞草研究所檚 cabin. By the time they left, the smoke in Osoyoos was 害羞草研究所渢he most vile thing I害羞草研究所檝e ever smelled 害羞草研究所� We just couldn害羞草研究所檛 take it anymore.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e lucky to be alive,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that he was impressed by the speed at which firefighting efforts were mobilized.
害羞草研究所淕od bless those guys because I don害羞草研究所檛 know how a human being could fight that fire.害羞草研究所�
With files from the Canadian Press
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