7.81°C Vancouver

Aug 7, 2020 12:16 AM -

Properties spared, evacuation lifted after grass fire threatens Penticton homes

Share On

Residents of about 80 homes in Penticton, B.C., were allowed to return to their properties just hours after being forced out by an aggressive grass fire.

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen says an order to evacuate a section of Penticton's West Bench region was lifted early Thursday afternoon.

First responders began ordering people to leave the area at about 9 a.m. as the fire flared, briefly closing Highway 97, but limited traffic was moving again around noon.

All affected residents have been allowed to return but only pedestrian access was available to 17 properties until fire hoses and equipment could be removed.

No homes were damaged and the Kamloops Fire Centre confirms crews are mopping up the one-hectare blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Latest news

man-charged-after-altercation-linked-to-protest-at-b-c-ostrich-farm
BCDec 12, 2025

Man charged after altercation linked to protest at B.C. ostrich farm

A man from Ontario has been charged following an altercation connected to a protest at Universal Ostrich Farm in the rural community of Edgewood, where federal inspectors culled more than 300 birds last month amid an avian influenza outbreak. RCMP say officers were called to the area on September 22, when they were alerted to a disturbance at a neighbouring property shortly after arriving to support federal officials. Mounties report that a 73-year-old woman received medical attention from officers at the scene, and a 60-year-old man was taken into custody. Investigators say the individual has
burnaby-rcmp-recovers-high-value-stolen-eyewear-during-search-at-local-residence
BCDec 12, 2025

Burnaby RCMP recovers high-value stolen eyewear during search at local residence

Burnaby RCMP say officers uncovered a large cache of stolen designer eyewear while carrying out a search warrant linked to a separate investigation last week. Members of the Investigative Support Team discovered eight boxes holding more than 100 pairs of sunglasses and prescription frames, many still tagged for retail sale at stores across the Lower Mainland. Police report that some of the price tags helped investigators identify the items as stolen merchandise from multiple businesses. One item carried a price of more than one thousand dollars, and several others were valued in the hundreds,
public-dialogue-on-memory-identity-and-institutions-convened-on-international-human-rights-day
British ColumbiaDec 12, 2025

Public Dialogue on Memory, Identity, and Institutions Convened on International Human Rights Day

On International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2025, Wanjara Nomad Collections, with participation from the Guru Nanak Jahaz Heritage Society, hosted a three-hour public dialogue titled “Let’s Talk” in Surrey, British Columbia. The program examined questions of memory, identity, and institutional responsibility within Sikh Canadian public life. Wanjara Nomad Collections organized the dialogue and brought together elders, representatives of gurdwara societies, human rights advocates, scholars, artists, and members of the public. The gathering functioned as a dialogue-based forum that emph
threat-prompts-brief-lockdown-at-nanaimo-high-school
BCDec 11, 2025

Threat prompts brief lockdown at Nanaimo high school

A Nanaimo high school was placed under a precautionary lockdown Wednesday afternoon after school staff were alerted to a threat directed at a student. The incident at Nanaimo District Secondary School began around 2:30 p.m., prompting administrators to activate established safety procedures. Nanaimo RCMP officers responded immediately and remained on site while classrooms were secured. Police and school officials said the lockdown lasted roughly 30 minutes, and students and staff were released shortly after 3 p.m. once officers determined there was no ongoing risk. The district says students w
vancouver-police-seize-loaded-rifle-and-drugs-during-downtown-eastside-arrest
BCDec 11, 2025

Vancouver Police seize loaded rifle and drugs during Downtown Eastside arrest

Vancouver Police say a loaded rifle and several other weapons were taken off the street this week after officers arrested a man suspected of trafficking drugs in the Downtown Eastside. The incident took place Tuesday afternoon near East Hastings and Columbia Street, an area where frontline police and community workers have long raised concerns about violence linked to the drug trade. According to the Vancouver Police Department, members of the Beat Enforcement Team were on routine patrol around 2:35 p.m. on December 9 when they arrested a 32-year-old Surrey resident outside a residential build

Related News