More than 200 firefighters move around smouldering wildfire near Penticton, B.C.

A wildfire south of Penticton is dying down, allowing firefighting crews to move around its flanks as officials inspect the area to ensure it's safe for evacuees to return to their homes.

The fire has scorched more than 20 square kilometres of land on the east side of Skaha Lake and destroyed one home since last week.

The B-C Wildfire Service says the fire is now classified as rank one on a scale of six, which refers to smoldering ground fires with no open flames and white smoke that can be attacked by ground crews using hand tools, pumps and hoses.

An evacuation alert was lifted for nearly 37-hundred properties in Penticton, while an evacuation order remains in place for more than 300 on the south side of the blaze.