Drones are helping map hot spots of wildfires burning around the Okanagan region of British Columbia. Cool, calm conditions help firefighters control fires elsewhere.
The crew has been working on several wildfires, including one near Lytton, which broke out almost a month ago and destroyed several facilities, and is no longer designated as a wildfire of note.
But Mikhail Elsay, intelligence officer for the BC Wildfire Service, said at a press conference that a large fire about 21 kilometers southwest of Penticton, Okanagan, has burned more than 68 square kilometers and is still out of control. .
Elsay said they are using new drone technology to scan the rim of the fire to make sure it is out.
He says the crew is making progress and some in the area can go home.
Highway 3A remains closed, but evacuation orders have been lifted for properties from Twin Lakes to just north of Olala, including homes along Sheep Creek Road.
Nearly 500 properties in the area have been issued evacuation warnings and residents should prepare to vacate immediately.
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