Late on Saturday night, an evacuation order was issued for the town of Osoyoos and its surrounding district in British Columbia, Canada, due to an out-of-control wildfire known as Eagle Bluff. The fire has crossed over from the US state of Washington and is now approximately 4 kilometers (2.49 miles) away from Osoyoos. The British Columbia Wildfire Service estimates the fire’s size to be 885 hectares (2,200 acres) on the Canadian side of the border, while it was roughly 2,000 hectares on the US side.
Osoyoos, with a population of around 6,700, is under threat from the advancing wildfire. In response to the emergency, firefighting crews, helicopters, and heavy equipment have been deployed to combat the blaze, with efforts focusing on the eastern flank.
The evacuation order encompasses the area north of the Canada-US border to the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 3, extending west and north along Highway 3. So far, 732 properties have been evacuated, and an additional 2,094 properties are under evacuation alerts. About 132 individuals have sought emergency support.
As the situation remains critical, authorities are closely monitoring the fire’s movement and its potential impact on communities and properties in the affected region. Residents are urged to heed evacuation orders and alerts for their safety and to allow firefighting teams to contain the blaze effectively.