Wildfire service attacks fire from ground and air, Highway 97 closed north of Vernon

VERNON, B.C. — The B.C. Wildfire Service says an industrial mill fire north of Vernon near Tonasket Road is now 1.5 hectares in size, with 25 provincial firefighters on site and numerous local departments.

The fire is still classified as ‘out of control,’ but contained to the industrial site, and it hasn’t spread to other properties.

“Due to the toxicity of the fire, our crews have put a sprinkler system on the east side to help with suppression,” Madison Smith, fire information officer with the BCWS, told Vernon Matters.

Smith said the air tankers have finished dropping retardant on the scene, but two helicopters continue to drop water.

People in the area who said they saw lots of black smoke earlier in the fire fight, now say they are not seeing hardly any.

Drive BC says Highway 97 is closed in both directions between Grandview Flats Rd North and Tonasket Rd (17 km north of Vernon). There is a detour southbound via Hwy 1 to Salmon Arm then Hwy 97B to Enderby. Detour northbound via Hwy 97A to Armstrong to Hwy 97B to Salmon Arm.

Image Credit: Rob Ellis / Contributed to Vernon Matters

Image Credit: Twitter / AIMRoads