New wildfire shuts down Highway 97 in both directions near Peachland

A new wildfire that sprung to life in the Central Okanagan on Monday morning has shut down Highway 97 in both directions near Peachland, B.C.

Global News cameraman Steve Beskidny is on scene and says the blaze is burning in a rugged and remote area of the hillside above the highway.

“There are three helicopters here right now that are getting water from the lake. It is on a hillside. It looks like it is moving up. It is on steep terrain. Traffic is closed,” he said.

DriveBC confirms the wildfire is affecting traffic in both directions near Brent Road.

The BC Wildfire Service said the fire is approximately 0.3 hectares in size. Ground crews, air tankers and helicopters are responding to the scene.

There are no structures in the vicinity of the fire.

On Saturday, a wildfire threatened homes in the Peachland area.

During the height of Saturday’s wildfire, all properties along Maranatha Drive had been evacuated, with an evacuation alert issued for nearby homes.