The Kerr Creek wildfire, burning just a few kilometers northeast of Penticton, has doubled in size from yesterday and remains classified as "out of control."
Hazy smoke from the blaze, suspected to be a product of Tuesday evening lightning, is sporadically visible from multiple vantage points on the north side of the city.
According to the BC Wildfire Service interactive map, the fire is situated less than a kilometer from the banks of Penticton Creek on the southern slope of Mount Randolph, a half-dozen kilometers from the Campbell Mountain Landfill.
On Wednesday afternoon, when the fire was one hectare in size, PentictonNow photographed a fleet of four Air Tractor AT-802As, often called skimmers, collecting water from Okanagan Lake and flying to the site. We witnessed at least six round trips.
Today, says BC Wildfire Service fire information officer Taylor MacDonald, "The fire is sized at four hectares. We do have 16 BCWS personnel responding today, and they are being assisted by two helicopters."
MacDonald advised that the helicopters in use yesterday and today are able to specifically focus on certain hotspots within the fire.
Meanwhile, the Steward Creek wildfire, likely also caused by the Tuesday evening storm and burning Wednesday not far from the Kerr Creek blaze, is now officially classified as out.
