Highway 97 was closed Monday night as the Bald Range wildfire threatened communities in the central Okanagan.
Hugh Murdoch, a BC Wildfire Service incident commander, said the stretch of Highway 97 between Penticton and Peachland through Summerland remains closed as the northeast corner of the fire poses a risk to the highway.
Murdoch said crews encountered fierce conditions at the northeast corner earlier Monday. Conditions later changed, but the risk of flare-ups remained.
“If you back it up a number of hours, the fire activity at the northeast corner closest to Highway 97, I would describe it as an organized flame front moving in lighter fuels,” Murdoch said.
“This [Monday] morning, helicopters were able to get on that and have an impact before they got smoked out. Our intention is to have more crews back in there again tomorrow morning,” he said.
Murdoch said factors beyond fire behaviour will determine when the corridor reopens, while the closure allows wildfire crews to respond to potential flare-ups.
“From a wildfire service point, we are doing everything we can in that area to protect that corridor while also recognizing that benefit to that is protecting Peachland and not losing focus on other key parts of this fire,” Murdoch said.
The province says drivers can detour around the closure via Forest Service Road 201 (Okanagan Falls Road) and Highway 33 between Penticton and Kelowna. Commercial vehicles must use numbered routes.
