The B.C. government says 500 personnel are helping fight the massive White Rock Lake wildfire and that some form of structural protection is set up around more than 1,000 homes.

Deputy Minister of Forests Rick Manwaring said as of this afternoon, the number of people working the fire includes 162 BC Wildfire Service personnel and 138 structural protection specialists, as well as ranchers and partners from forest companies and Indigenous communities.

“I could continue to add the numbers up as we get into the aircraft that we’re operating with, and water tenders, and different support systems we have in place.”

Manwaring said crews are actioning “higher priority” areas of the fire. That includes controlled burns taking place this afternoon on the fire’s northwest flank, north of Monte Lake and Paxton Valley, to burn off fuel within the fire’s perimeter.

With that, about 330 personnel are based in Vernon, living out of tents behind Kal Tire Place as they work two-week sets of 16-hour days, some having to drive as far as 90 minutes to get to different areas of the fire.

“We try to make it as comfortable as possible… A lot of the crews are old hands at this now and they bring lots of different, creative things, like USB-powered fans. If you can think of it, there’s a crew member who has purchased it to try to make life a little more comfortable in their downtime,” Cian Carroll said, a logistics section chief with the BC Wildfire Service. He added the average age of crew members is between 25 and 27 years old.

“The parking lot, funnily enough, becomes quite the hangout spot in the evening. Becaue we’ve got AC in those trucks. So you’ll see a lot of crews having their debriefs around those trucks. Trying to just unload the day, get it off of their heads, and be clear for the next day.”

At time of posting, there are more than 2,000 people on evacuation order and several thousand others on alert. The BCWS says “thousand of homes” are being protected against flames and embers.

Structure protection specialist Neill Moroz says more than 300 homes have been set up with irrigation sprinklers by wildfire crews, which let out between five and 100 gallons per minute. And more than 1,000 homes in total have wet lines or fire tenders around them.

“What we’re trying to do is create this humidity bubble around the structure. Fire is lazy, so it’s going to take the path least resistant,” Moroz said. “So when we create this humidity bubble, the fire front comes in and goes around the bubble, protecting the home.”

Moroz added that during a rank six firestorm, like the conditions of the White Rock Lake fire when it levelled homes in Monte Lake and Paxton Valley a week ago, structural protection may not always hold up.

Many homes lost in the Monte Lake area were not set up with structural protection sprinklers. Moroz says crews go in and assess many homes when there is a fire risk but that equipment is only set up at homes where there is less of a risk surrounding the structure.

“When we go to investigate why a house is standing and why a house is burnt, it’s usually got to do with FireSmart.”

The Central Okanagan Regional District has also confirmed at least six structures being lost by the White Rock Lake fire, near Bouleau Lake on part of the fire’s east flank.

The blaze, burning since July 13, is now mapped at 58,000, as crews are concerned hot weather and winds could increase fire activity in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Manwaring said today a cause for the fire is still under investigation.