Penticton residents say they're confident in efforts to protect homes from nearby wildfire

Residents on evacuation alert due to a wildfire burning near Penticton say they have faith in firefighters who have worked to keep their homes safe from a wildfire that has grown to 20 square kilometres in days.

Monica Holloway's home in the Okanagan city's Pineview Plateau neighbourhood is one of around 3,700 under an evacuation alert because of the Christie Mountain wildfire.

Her car is packed with supplies and some of her most precious keepsakes, like family photos, so she can leave at a moment's notice should the fire come closer.

However, she says due to the work of firefighters, she, along with family members also under alert, are confident they won't have to leave. 

"I think we're all of the same mind, this is all going to blow over real fast," she said. "It's going to work out just fine."

Holloway's assertion was bolstered late Friday when officials with the B.C. Wildfire Service said in a tweet that forecasted winds many expected to push the fire back toward Penticton did not increase the activity of the fire.

"The winds from the south pushing north have not significantly increased the fire," it said.

More than 100 firefighters, many with the service, but also with a dozen or so municipal fire departments from across B.C., worked Friday to put hoses and water systems in place to fight embers from the fire should they arrive in neighbourhoods like Pineview Plateau.

"Establishing sprinkler systems and raising relative humidity levels to give homes a better fighting chance in the event of an ember shower attack," said Pentiction Fire Chief Larry Watkinson.

Helicopters spent much of Friday afternoon circling over Skaha Lake to fill up with water and fly back to the fire to pour the water onto the smoking hills.

Lori and Brian Spence, a couple under the evacuation alert, said the firefighters were doing an excellent job.

"I've got confidence in what's going on, but fires are unpredictable," Lori Spence said. "Everybody's on it, and I think it's absolutely amazing."

Fire officials said that overnight Friday, tankers would be strategically dropping retardant on several sections of the fire.

They say expected northwest winds on Saturday could still push the fire into new areas that have plants and other materials that could burn.

Calm evening

Late Friday night, very little smoke from the fire was visible in Penticton as winds dropped.

Cooler temperatures could also help with the fire as highs over the weekend are expected to be in the mid-20s, roughly 10 degrees cooler than when the fire kicked up earlier in the week.

The fire has so far destroyed one home and forced residents on 300 other properties to leave.

Officials with the regional district will provide an update on the fire and evacuation orders and alerts on Saturday at noon.