BC Wildfire Service crews say they have used their water skimmer on Okanagan Lake for the first time this season, as they battle the Spring Lake fire near Peachland.
“Looking to past fire seasons, it is quite a common body of water for us to be using to fight wildfires,” said Fire Information Officer Aydan Coray.
“Just a reminder to people out that may be recreating on bodies of water around the province, if you see skimmers coming in utilizing the lake, give them plenty of room, stay out of their way, and stay vigilant while they’re working.”
According to the service, the wildfire was discovered on Wednesday, about 4.5 kilometres west of Peachland.
The agency said just after 6 p.m. that the fire was “displaying rank 2-3 behaviour,” meaning it “has an open flame and moderate rate of spread.”
“Our last estimate was around 2.2 hectares in size this evening, so a little bit of growth since it was reported late in the afternoon,” said Coray.
She notes multiple teams are battling this fire, including air tankers and dozens of firefighters on the ground.
“There are no threats to any communities or properties at this time,” Coray added.
More crews are expected on the ground Thursday.
-With files from Anthony Atanasov