OLIVER, B.C. — At least one home has been destroyed after two fast-moving wildfires forced hundreds of residents to leave their homes in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley.
The property was lost in the massive Testalinden fire about seven kilometres south of Oliver, said Zoe Kirk with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
The blaze was ignited Friday evening and by Saturday morning it covered 13 square kilometres and was still growing.
The smaller fire, the Wilsons Mountain blaze one kilometre north of Oliver, had grown to about 200 hectares.
The district has issued an evacuation order for about 360 homes in the area of the two fires.
The district said both blazes pose an imminent threat to the homes and it has opened an emergency operations centre to co-ordinate its response.
Emergency Social Services has also been activated at the Oliver Community Centre to help deal with evacuees.
Both fires were burning in scrub brush on steep, western hillsides above the agricultural area surrounding the town itself.
Flames came within about 50 metres of Helena Souto's house, which was saved by the lush orchard between it and the fire zone.
"We had the sprinkler running overnight, that's maybe why it didn't get too close to the house," she told the Penticton Herald on Saturday after returning to survey the damage.
"I didn't expect to see the house this morning."
Dozens of fruit trees that served as the makeshift fire guard were scorched and she expects they'll have to be replanted.
"But that's Mother Nature," Souto said. "You can't stress out about it."
Her neighbour, Spud Torrao, spent the night on top of his home, which was also saved by fruit trees.
"I've lived through burn-outs. I lived in Lilloet and twice I got evacuated, and I said I'm going to stay until the last second until the corner of the house gets going, so I laid up there and I had the water hose," he recalled while repairing a sign damaged by heavy winds.
"I've got a metal roof and said I'll tough it out."
Torrao told the Penticton Herald that he felt the bolt of lightning that he believes sparked the Testalinden fire, then "the wind started up right away and I knew that we were in trouble."
He's now worried about the stability of the slopes above his home if thunderstorms materialize as forecasted for later in the day.
The region's agricultural backbone may have prevented more extensive losses, said a spokesman for the Oliver Fire Department.
"Some of those orchards and vineyards that kept stuff green definitely saved those areas," said Rob Graham, who was among 30 members of the department who assisted provincial crews.
"There were structures threatened, but that's why we were there."
Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes said approximately 300 people registered Friday night at an emergency reception centre in town. Upwards of 40 evacuees slept there, while others spent the night in their vehicles or bunked with friends and family.
He described the mood Saturday morning as "pretty calm" following a fitful night.
"Last night it was pretty horrific when you're at the foot of the hill... and watching flames licking at the backs of houses. It was pretty tense," Hovanes said. "And the smoke was thick. You could hardly breathe."
Both fires continue to smoulder Saturday with small pockets of flames visible at times on the hillsides. The B.C Wildfire Service has three helicopters and 60 crew members on the scene, and is still being assisted by local crews.
The blazes add to a worsening wildfire situation in B.C. Oliver is about 40 kilometres northwest of Rock Creek, where hundreds of homes were evacuated Thursday.
That fire has destroyed at least one home and was estimated to be 25 square kilometres on Saturday.
