Drove alongside a wildfire today
After spending a couple of weeks in OR, we were heading to Vernon BC to attend a family memorial and over-nighted in Oliver, BC near the Can/US border. We knew there was a fire near our planned route to Vernon but it worsened overnight. Detouring around the fire would have added hours to the trip but reports said the highway was still open so we left early in the am.
On the way through Peachland, BC (in the BC Okanagan), the wildfire was right alongside the 4-lane highway 97. The police were escorting one lane of traffic through at a time in each direction. Entire trees were burning near us. The heat was intense and we could hear the loud crackling of the trees on fire. The flames were racing up the hillside.
The fire has now doubled in size and hwy 97 was closed so we were fortunate to get through earlier in the day. Have never been closer than a few miles from a wildfire but to be that close was pretty unnerving and a display of the incredible power of nature.
We feel so bad for the people in Peachland that were evacuated and on evacuation alert - and are very grateful and appreciate the hard and dangerous work of the fire and police crews.
On the way through Peachland, BC (in the BC Okanagan), the wildfire was right alongside the 4-lane highway 97. The police were escorting one lane of traffic through at a time in each direction. Entire trees were burning near us. The heat was intense and we could hear the loud crackling of the trees on fire. The flames were racing up the hillside.
The fire has now doubled in size and hwy 97 was closed so we were fortunate to get through earlier in the day. Have never been closer than a few miles from a wildfire but to be that close was pretty unnerving and a display of the incredible power of nature.
We feel so bad for the people in Peachland that were evacuated and on evacuation alert - and are very grateful and appreciate the hard and dangerous work of the fire and police crews.
