Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Small fire forces evacuation near Vernon

By Staff  The Canadian Press August 6, 2013 5:25 am
   VERNON, B.C. – Forestry crews are keeping watch on the remains of a two hectare fire at Ellison Provincial Park, about 15 kilometres south of Vernon, B.C. It broke out around mid-afternoon on Sunday, forcing 250 campers to flee, closing nearby roads and putting the Outback Resort on evacuation alert. Crews had assessed the danger and everyone was allowed back into the area, along the northeastern shore of Okanagan Lake, but about 8:30 Sunday night. Evacuation alerts and road closures were also lifted. Twenty-three firefighters from the forests ministry and a 30-member crew from Vernon helped corral the flames, assisted by air tankers and an overnight rain shower. There’s no word, yet, what sparked the blaze, but it’s thought to have been human caused because there were no lightning strikes in the area. (CKIZ)

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