The northeast corner of the Heather Lake Wildfire, burning last Wednesday. The fire burning in Manning Provincial Park has grown to 8,663 hectares in size. The Heather Lake fire first ignited on August 21st in the United States and crossed the border in early September. About 3,743 hectares of the fire is now burning on the Canadian side of the border. The lightning-sparked fire has grown significantly in the wooded area south of Highway 3, about five kilometers south of Manning Park Resort. As a result, the resort is on evacuation alert. Additionally, much of Manning Provincial Park is under an evacuation order, while the community of Eastgate is also on evacuation alert. In an update Sunday, the BC Wildfire Service says they expect increased fire behavior today as winds are forecast to come from the southeast. “Wildfire crews will be used to protect identified assets and support necessary strategies and tactics as needed,” BCWS says. “Construction protection personnel assess and test structures and install equipment to protect assets. A water tender will continue to supply relay tanks used for crew and structure protection activities.” Smoke will continue to cause visibility issues on nearby Highway 3. The smoky skies seen in the Okanagan Sunday are largely due to the Heather Lake fire. There are currently 23 firefighters working on the blaze, along with five helicopters and one piece of heavy equipment. Photo: BCWS Lake Heather fire limits as of Sunday.
