Firefighters Report Good Night on Joe Rich Fire

Update 11:45 a.m.: Highway 33 has now opened up to single-lane alternating traffic. Updates here.

Update 9:15 a.m.: The BC Wildfire Service reports that the fire is still zero per cent contained and is showing mostly rank 1 and rank 2 fire behaviour, meaning the Huckleberry fire has smouldering ground fire as well as low vigour surface fire. Retardant is around 75 per cent of the fire's perimeter. Twenty-seven firefighters, two helicopters and eight fixed-winged aircrafts responded on Saturday morning as well as 40 firefighters from BC Wildfire Service and additional support staff.

Update 9 a.m.: Despite the good progress, fire officials are keeping all Evacuation Orders and Alerts in effect. The fire is still actively being fought with firefighters from the Joe Rich, Ellison, and Big White fire departments as well as crews from BC Wildfire Service giving both ground and air support.

The grass fire is still estimated at 80 hectares.

Original Story:

Fire crews are saying that the guards and retardant lines held overnight on the Joe Rich fire that evacuated 141 homes.

The fire is still estimated at about 80 hectares in size. Over the night, about 14 structural firefighters from Joe Rich Fire and Rescue and the Big White Fire Department were on the scene, as well as 20 personnel from the BC Wildfire Service.

Smoke billowing from the fire in Joe Rich (Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com)

Crews snuffed out some minor flare-ups and knocked down several hotspots that they found during their overnight patrols. Fire crews say the guards and retardant lines that were established are holding.

In the next few hours of Saturday morning, the Unified Command including BC Wildfire Service and local structural fire departments will be figuring out the plan of action for the day. This plan will include the continuing efforts to increase containment and determining any possible changes in Evacuation Orders and Alerts.

The location of the evacuation order and alerts (Photo Credit: CORD Emergency)

All Evacuation Orders and Alerts remain in effect and, according to DriveBC, Highway 33 remains closed in both directions 12.5 km south of the junction with Highway 97 at Goudie Road. There's an alternate route open via Highway 3 and Highway 97.