Small B.C. community ordered to evacuate from path of wildfire southwest of Penticton

Emergency officials have ordered all residents to evacuate from the B.C. community of Olalla, about 40 kilometres southwest of Penticton, due to the Keremeos Creek wildfire.

The unincorporated town, with a population of more than 400, was put under full evacuation orders Thursday afternoon, affecting roughly 200 properties, around 5 p.m. by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.

A half-hour later, residents from part of the village of Keremeos, B.C., representing nearly 220 properties, were placed on evacuation alert by municipal and regional authorities,

“This afternoon, the approaching cold front brought much higher winds than we’ve been seeing over the last couple of days, which increased the fire behaviour,”