Wildfire forces closure of Hwy. 97 outside Peachland

New wildfire leads to closure of B.C. highway A wildfire that sparked Monday morning between Summerland and Peachland has already tripled in size.

Vancouver — A wildfire burning out of control near Peachland, B.C., has forced crews to close a stretch of Highway 97 in both directions.

The Peachland Fire Department is battling the small blaze with help from provincial air tankers, helicopters and firefighting personnel, the B.C. Wildfire Service said Monday.

Officials estimate the blaze, which broke out next to the highway between Peachland and Summerland, to be around 0.3 hectares in size.

The last update from the B.C. Wildfire Service, posted shortly before 11 a.m. Monday, indicated there were no structures being threatened by the flames.

It's unclear how long Highway 97 will remain closed in the area. DriveBC said a detour is available by taking Highway 97C to Aspen Grove, then Highway 5A to Princeton.