The Eagle Bluff wildfire near Oliver has been burning since Monday; however, tourism representatives in the area are letting visitors know that the blaze isn't hindering vacation conditions.
The Chair of Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country, Julie Planiden told AM1150 that wineries, campsites and golf courses are all opening for business and welcoming people to the area.
“Today it’s much better. A lot less smoke and certainly not that campfire smell we've had the last few days. There’s a fair bit of wind which seems to be blowing the smoke away from the region and so the skies, although not blue, are not smoky. They're just overcast from the weather we have moving into the whole region,” said Planiden.
She is concerned images of the fire with large plumes of smoke and daunting orange glow are deterring vacationers.
“I guess I’m worried that some of the dramatic pictures that’re being broadcast, particularly of the fire at nighttime, are potentially sending visitors the wrong messaging,”
Instead, she wanted to send her own message.
“We really are open for business, we want to welcome people to this area, and we want them to continue having their holidays, vacations and day trips down here. It’s really not as dramatic as some of those images have created,” said Planiden.