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BANNISTER 4703 - 27th St. VERNON • 250-545-0606
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Concerts placing pressure on officers
HAVING A BALL
ROGER KNOX Morning Star Staff
LISA VANDERVELDE/MORNING STAR
As the heat wave continues, Tyler Kruysifix, nine, plays keep-away with Horatio Andow, seven, as they stay cool in the peanut pool at Vernon’s Lakeview Park Wednesday.
Okanagan forests heating up RICHARD ROLKE
ing to get crunchy underfoot.” Presently, the Vernon area Flooding has evolved into has a moderate fire risk rating, fire. while it climbs to high as you Sandbags along near Salmon Arm. rivers and creeks are It’s expected those being abandoned ratings could climb as and now officials are temperatures remain increasingly focused high over the next on sweltering temperfew days (27 today, 32 atures and the threat Monday, 32 Tuesday). of wildfire. A primary concern “The potential is is residents may disKayla Pepper certainly there,” said count the fire threat Kayla Pepper, fire because much of June information officer and early July was wet with the Kamloops Fire Centre. and cool, and flooding domi“The pine needles are start- nated media headlines. Morning Star Staff
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“We don’t want people to be complacent,” said Pepper. So far in the Kamloops Fire Centre, which includes the North Okanagan, there have been 115 wildfires. Of those, 85 have been caused by people. “We are forecasting lightning this weekend and we are asking people to be cautious,” said Pepper. “We don’t want to split (firefighting) resources by handling unnecessary human-caused fires.” People are asked to extinguish campfires properly, not throw cigarette butts into grass
or brush and to watch for sparks coming from ATV exhaust systems. If the wildfire threat continues to increase, officials may have to consider a ban on campfires. “We’re monitoring conditions around that,” said Pepper. Report a wildfire or unattended campfire by calling *5555 on your cellphone or 1 800 663-5555 toll-free. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to www.bcwildfire.ca
Three large events running simultaneously will challenge the RCMP. Police will be on hand for the Sturgis North Music Festival, Trade Show and Motorcycle Rally Wednesday to Sunday at the MotoPlex Speedway in Spallumcheen; and at the 23rd annual Salmon Arm Summer Stomp Thursday to Sunday at a rural property on Salmon River Road. And they’ll be at Armstrong Metalfest Friday and Saturday at the Hassen Arena and Interior Provincial Exhibition grounds. “It creates a challenge for us for sure,” said Sgt. Dave Evans, who heads up the VernonNorth Okanagan RCMP’s rural operations. “We’re here to provide policing service to the area, and these three are happening at the same time.” Evans expects a significant number of people coming to the region for the events, but maintains planning for all three has been a combined approach, and not done in isolation from each other. “With the influx of persons expected at the size we’re expecting for these events, it requires not only operational planning, but the bringing in and increasing of on-duty resources,” said Evans. Regular on-duty members will be utilized as will additional regular members on overtime. Citizens On Patrol and auxiliaries will also be used, giving the RCMP presence at all three functions. The detachment’s North Okanagan Traffic Safety and Integrated Road Safety units will be utilized on the highways and roads near the events to ensure safety. Evans said planning has also been done to make sure there are police resources available to cover the communities during the time of July 18 to 22. “We’re taking measures to make sure we have sufficient resources to deal with regular core policing responsibilities that we do all the time when there are no events.”
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•Based on 2010 closed transations. Source CREA and RE/MAX internal data.