The number of Canadian troops in the B.C. Interior is expected to increase in the next few days, as the military moves onto a different kind of battlefield -- a burning mountain near Kelowna.

The Okanagan Mountain fire, which began nine days ago when lightning struck trees south of Kelowna, forced 20,000 people from their homes. While 3,000 have been allowed back, officials warn it is still burning out of control.

Helping to contain it are close to 700 troops already in the Okanagan. And more troops from Edmonton's Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry are being flown in today, Lt.-Cmdr. Paul Seguna told CTV's Canada AM.

"In the next few days our commitment in all of British Columbia will be 1,150 troops," Seguna said. "We are moving troops as quickly as we can into the front line of this fire."

The only other time the military has mobilized so many troops nationally was during the Red River flood in Manitoba back in 1997.

The troops, who have been trained in firefighting techniques, are working alongside B.C. firefighters to contain a blaze that over the weekend destroyed more than 240 homes.

"There is still a lot of fuel out there and this is still a dangerous situation," Seguna said, adding that the winds have become lighter.

"We've used the last 24 hours to continue intensive fire suppression activities, which means going through and clearing out the hot spots and moving the threat of reignition should the wind pick up."

 The Red Cross in Calgary is helping the Vancouver office take donations. To date the agency has raised $800,000.

Even Cher is lending her voice to the cause. Playing before a sell out crowd in Vancouver Saturday, the singer announced half of all ticket sales will go to the forest fire relief fund, set up by the Salvation Army.