Hundreds of Peachland residents told to evacuate

Fire crews in B.C.’s Central Okanagan region are tackling an out-of-control wildfire that is forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate.

Over 300 properties in and around Peachland have been put under an evacuation order Sept. 25 due to the Munro Lake wildfire, which is over 74 hectares in size.

Shae Stearns with the BC Wildfire Service says the northern flank of the fire is growing.

“The growth that we have seen is largely due to the wind, and it’s a very wind-driven fire,” Stearns said.

“That’s something that we will continue to monitor. We are calling for more wind throughout the weekend, so it’s something that crews will look at and change objectives and operations as needed.”

Air and ground crews are currently tackling the blaze as hundreds of residents pack up and leave.

Resident Janette says it is organized chaos as the community evacuates.

“This is the first time I’ve actually been evacuated, but it is probably about the third time I’ve packed the car on alert to be evacuated,” she said.

Another local named Sarah says everyone in her neighbourhood has evacuated.

“It’s us and our family, and we put a sprinkler on the chicken coop and packed our dog in the car and left,” she said.

The service says the fire is threatening the Munro Lake Forest Service Road and the Peachland Main Road.

In addition to the evacuation order, more than 1,000 addresses around Peachland have been put on evacuation alert.