Latest news with #PatrickVanMinsel
Globe and Mail
01-08-2025
- Climate
- Globe and Mail
Hundreds of residents evacuated after fire threatens Peachland, B.C.
A truck hauling heavy machinery down a highway in British Columbia's dry Okanagan region caught fire Wednesday, sparking a blaze in the nearby bush that has forced nearly a thousand people from their homes. Patrick Van Minsel, Mayor of the District of Peachland, is among them. But he said the aggressive actions by provincial wildfire fighters, the community's volunteer fire department and previous efforts by the community to clean the surrounding bush of a natural buildup of fuels has ensured that there have been no injuries or damaged buildings. 'I was very impressed by their approach and they were very fast,' Mr. Van Minsel said of the firefighters. By Thursday afternoon, the local regional district had lifted evacuation orders for most of the 400 homes on the outskirts of the small town south of Kelowna, but the mayor said that he and the residents of roughly 130 houses in the area still couldn't return. A day earlier, he ran home to grab his 'go bag' with essentials such as ID and a change of clothes and spent 20 minutes trying and failing to find his cat Cybil, who he says can access her food and water dishes by entering through a cat door. Ash falls on Lytton, B.C., as wildfire triggers evacuation alerts The Drought Hill fire is one of 20 that ignited Wednesday in B.C., adding to 40 others burning in the province, according to the daily snapshot provided Thursday by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which co-ordinates the transfer of personnel and equipment coast to coast. To date, B.C. has seen 723,756 hectares scorched this year − an area slightly less than last year at this same time but attributed to significantly fewer fires (651 compared with 1,062). The agency stated that B.C.'s hot and dry conditions will likely continue until a possible downturn during the coming long weekend. Rain is forecast for parts of the province in the next few days. Colder fronts often bring a day or two of rain, but also higher winds and more lightning. Meanwhile, the Lytton First Nation, which was devastated four years ago by a wildfire, has ordered that residents on some of its reserves be evacuated again. The First Nation issued an evacuation order Thursday for two sparsely populated reserves because of immediate danger caused by an uncontrolled wildfire burning nearby, about 10 kilometres south of the village of Lytton. The order signed Thursday said residents must leave the Lytton 26A and Skwayaynope 26 reserves immediately and head to a reception centre. A spokesperson for the First Nation said it was not the same area that was evacuated in June, 2021, when much of nearby Lytton was destroyed by a wildfire and two people were killed. Barj Dehaan said he was driving back home to Vancouver on Wednesday when he started seeing smoke about 30 kilometres east of Lytton. 'As I got closer, I could see this huge plume of smoke. And as I got closer, I could see the literal fire as well, trees on fire. I have not seen a live fire like that before,' he said Thursday. He said the region has been very hot. 'The air quality was poor, and I could feel a burning sensation in my throat, strong smell of burning wood. And then I started thinking about the people who live in that town, that here they are again, having to deal with a fire that seems to be out of control,' he said. The fire near Lytton is one of a handful of significant fires burning in the province in areas where Environment Canada has issued heat warnings this week, with temperatures in the high 30s. Also on Thursday, the BC Wildfire Service upgraded a blaze in the Fraser Valley to a 'wildfire of note' and warned campers to leave the Harrison Lake area as roads are closed ahead of the long weekend. With a report from The Canadian Press
CTV News
31-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
‘We had minutes to leave': Fast-moving wildfire forces evacuations in B.C.'s Okanagan
A plane drops retardant on a wildfire in Peachland, B.C., on Wednesday, July 30. A fast-moving wildfire near Peachland, B.C., believed to be sparked by a vehicle fire, has forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes and remains out of control. The Drought Hill wildfire ignited Wednesday afternoon along Highway 97 between Peachland and West Kelowna and rapidly spread up the dry hillside. As of Thursday morning, Highway 97 was single-lane, alternating traffic on the Okanagan Connector at the Highway 97C junction as a result. Drivers were urged to proceed with caution in the area and expect delays. The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre issued an evacuation order on Wednesday affecting approximately 400 properties, and an additional 225 remain on evacuation alert. Patrick Van Minsel, the mayor of Peachland and one of the evacuees, said he was notified of the fire shortly before 3 p.m. Related: Full coverage of B.C.'s 2025 wildfire season 'The fire started around 2 or 2:20. It was caused by a vehicle that was on fire, and then it spread to a hillside,' he said. 'I was at a dinner meeting and got a warning around 2:45. I left my home within five minutes.' Van Minsel said first responders were already on scene when he arrived, working quickly to keep residents safe. 'There was already a huge response. Around 4 p.m. the evacuation order was issued for 400 homes, and people left very quietly, very organized. There was no panic,' he added. Reception centres were quickly opened to assist evacuees—one at West Kelowna's arena and another at Peachland's community centre. Evacuees who registered at the muster stations were provided with food, water and updates. 'We fed them, gave them drinks, kept them calm and communicated with them,' he said. 'The moment we knew something, they knew,' said Van Minsel. The wildfire spread with alarming speed, fueled by dry conditions and strong winds blowing up the hillside. 'It goes very, very fast,' Van Minsel said. 'The wind was coming from the north, blowing the fire uphill, and it's very dry here.' Fire crews, including support from neighbouring municipalities, responded with helicopters and air tankers. Fire retardant was dropped along the forest's edge to protect homes. As of Thursday morning, roughly 27 hectares had burned, with visible hotspots still smoldering. While the fire remains classified as 'out of control,' Van Minsel said there's reason for cautious optimism. 'I spoke this morning with my fire chief, and he seemed a little bit more relaxed. I like it when the fire chief is more relaxed,' he said. No homes have been reported lost, and no injuries have been reported. 'When embers were falling into people's yards, firefighters were already on every street. They went immediately and put them out,' Van Minsel said. 'The residents stayed calm and evacuated without panic, and that really helps.' Reception centres were reopening Thursday morning, and Van Minsel said ongoing updates will be posted on , the official information site for Central Okanagan emergencies. While parts of Peachland remain smoky, Van Minsel emphasized the town is still open for business. 'Our downtown is open. Restaurants will be open. But we do ask people to be careful,' he said, asking boaters to stay off the lake so helicopters can safely collect water. With the August long weekend approaching, he acknowledged concerns about tourism but encouraged people to monitor the situation and avoid unnecessary travel through impacted areas. 'If you don't have to travel toward West Kelowna from here, maybe just wait to hear back from EOC on next steps.' Emergency officials are expected to provide another update between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Thursday.
CBC
31-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Wildfire in B.C.'s Okanagan 'significantly decreased,' says wildfire service
About 400 properties remain under evacuation order in B.C.'s Okanagan region after a wildfire broke out Wednesday near Peachland, but the community's mayor says conditions appear to be easing. "The situation has calmed down," Mayor Patrick Van Minsel told CBC's Daybreak South Thursday morning. "There's much smoke visible and there's still a few visible hot spots here and there, but fire crews are working on them." Van Minsel said the Drought Hill wildfire is on the north side of his hillside community, burning between Peachland and Kelowna. The fire is covering an area of about 27 hectares, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service's latest measure. Van Minsel said his understanding is that no structures have been damaged. The mayor himself was evacuated yesterday. "I think the fire was around 400 metres from our homes," he said, speaking from his office. He noted the main muster centre for evacuees is Royal LePage Place on Cameron Avenue in West Kelowna. The B.C. Wildfire Service said on Facebook that the fire has shrunk. "Thanks to the quick and hard work of personnel on the ground and in the air, fire behaviour on the Drought Hill wildfire (K51121) has significantly decreased," said the service late Wednesday night. "Personnel will remain on site overnight to monitor and continue suppression." Van Minsel said the service is expected to give an update Thursday morning and re-evaluate the situation.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
400 properties ordered evacuated after wildfire partially closes Highway 97C in B.C.'s Okanagan region
A wildfire has partially closed a critical highway in B.C.'s Okanagan region, with the blaze also prompting the evacuation of 400 nearby properties. The eastbound closure of the Okanagan Connector (Highway 97C) stretches from the junction of Highway 97 to the junction of Highway 5A, a distance of 82.5 kilometres. It was earlier closed in both directions, but reopened to westbound traffic just after 6:30 p.m. PT. DriveBC says a stretch of Highway 97 between Peachland and the Highway 97C junction has also been closed in both directions due to the fire, which was measured at 27 hectares in size as of 6:30 p.m. PT Wednesday. The fire is suspected to have been started by human activity, a broad category that includes any fire not caused by lightning. The Regional District of Central Okanagan's emergency operations centre said in a statement around 4:45 p.m. PT that residents of around 400 properties were ordered to leave, and evacuation alerts will be issued. Evacuation centres have been set up at the Peachland Community Centre and West Kelowna's Royal LePage Place, according to officials. Properties east of Trepanier Bench Road, south of Highway 97C, and north of Highway 97 are on evacuation order. An evacuation alert has been issued for around 225 properties just southwest of the area that is under an evacuation order. An evacuation alert means that residents should be prepared to leave at a moment's notice, while an evacuation order means that residents should leave immediately. More details on evacuations will be posted to the website, according to officials. Peachland Mayor Patrick Van Minsel is among those who had to leave their homes due to the blaze. He estimates smoke from the fire was 500 to 600 metres from his home, which is in a hillside community between many trees. "I think there's no reason to be, you know, in panic," he told Sarah Penton, host of CBC's Radio West, late Wednesday afternoon from the evacuation centre. "I think [the] fire department is on it, we have a lot of trust in them," he added. "And I'm very hopeful that they will get a handle on it." WATCH | CBC's Jacqueline Gelineau talks about the latest on Drought Hill wildfire: Van Minsel said that anyone who had to leave their homes should have a place to go as the community centre is very large and people who aren't under evacuation order are welcoming and would take evacuees in. Taylor Colman, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, said crews were seeing a moderate rate of fire spread on Wednesday evening. "Thankfully, the air tankers and skimmers that are responding have really helped cool fire behaviour and slowed the spread," she said just after 6 p.m. PT. "And then our personnel on the ground are able to support Peachland fire department with the ground response." Fire sparked during hot week The blaze was sparked amid a sweltering week for the southern B.C. Interior, with Environment Canada maintaining a heat warning for the Okanagan Valley on Wednesday. Officials have not yet categorized the fire as a "wildfire of note," a designation that means it is particularly visible or poses a threat to public safety. moments leading up to evacuation: Two other major fires are burning in the southern half of the province — including the Bear Creek wildfire near Harrison Lake, and a fire south of Lytton that has prompted evacuation alerts. Kelowna RCMP said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that firefighting helicopters would be using nearby Okanagan Lake to refuel, and that boaters should avoid the area. "Boaters are asked to be aware and not obstruct the aircraft from accessing the lake in their firefighting efforts," the statement reads. RCMP said that the closures on Highway 97 and Highway 97C would last for an indefinite amount of time.
