Will the Okanagan be known as 'Smokenagan' again this summer?
After two record setting forest fire seasons, fire departments are hoping for the best but are bracing for the worst.
West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund says even a small grass fire Wednesday afternoon, which was quickly extinguished, are never taken lightly.
"The fire danger today is a 4, which is high. As we see those numbers come up, the temperatures increase, even if fires are small at this point, we are in ensuring we have a strong, quick fire department response in order to deal with them".
June is typically the wettest month of the year in the Okanagan. Rain over that stretch will go a long way in determining if we are in for anxious times in July and August.
"Any smoke that the public sees should be reported to 911. The smoke in the hills or the plume of smoke that is visible and you aren't sure what is going on, report it to 911. That gives us a chance to check it out and put it out if it is a fire while it is small".
Last July, a series of lightning strikes between Penticton and Kelowna started several fires including the Mount Enas fire that would grow to over 17 hundred hectares.