Two of the three wildfires now held
Two of the three wildfires that started on a destructive path through the Central Okanagan a week ago today are now classified as held.
Firefighters making progress
BC Wildfire’s Brad Litke said that the wildfires burning in Lake Country and Kelowna are now held, which means they are not likely to spread beyond predetermined boundaries under current conditions.
It also means that area residents who remain on evacuation orders will be able to go home by the end of the day, Kelowna fire chief Travis Whiting said, noting it’s a long-awaited shift.
The McDougall Creek wildfire, which burned through West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, and North Westside neighbourhoods remains out of control and is measured at 12,318 hectares. The cause is still under investigation.
Litke said the weather has been working in favour of firefighters in recent days but heading into the weekend, there will be a shift.
“Climbing temperatures and lower relative humidity moving towards the weekend, we’re expecting to see an increase in fire behavior in the Grouse Complex fires, specifically to the McDougal Creek fires,” Litke said.
Firefighting efforts intensified
Litke said BC wildfire crews are hoping to complete a hand ignition in the northwest of the Shannon Lake Golf Course and for the last two days crews have been preparing hose lines and hand guards to address the pockets of unburned fuel on the steep slopes that could challenge containment.
“This is important work to ensure that that fuel isn’t going to be able to take a run at our guards. The operation will bring the fire into more operable terrain for the firefighters as well,” he said.
West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund said that the sight of the smoke from these planned burns may be concerning to some but, as he did the day earlier, he wanted to remind people that it’s not a bad sign.
“People are going to see it and they’re going to think that things are getting worse again, and they’re not… it’s actually part of making things better,” Brolund said.
“I want to assure the public that not only are the BC Wildfire service experts involved in designing and executing it, but we have one of the largest structural fire departments in the country assembled in the base of that neighbourhood, ready to protect the homes and deploy as required.”
Online search tool launched
On Wednesday night, the Emergency Operations Centre launched an online search tool for City of West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation and Central Okanagan West Electoral Area properties that have experienced partial to full structure loss resulting from the McDougall Creek wildfire.
Property owners placed on evacuation orders can search to see if their property has incurred losses by visiting www.cordemergency.ca/propertyinfo.
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Assessment and alert updates
The search tool follows the work of Canada Task Force 1 Team, which completed assessments to identify properties that incurred losses in the wildfires.
This was the first step in aiding in the public notification process. Further hazard assessments must now be completed at each property, to determine the number and types of structures lost on each property. That process is completed in the City of Kelowna and District of Lake Country.
The process will take longer but remains a priority in the communities of West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation and the Regional District of the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area where losses have been greater.
On Wednesday night, properties on Horizon Drive Shannon Lake Road and Alexandria Way, Moore Drive, Shawna Court, Helgason Drive, Golf Course Drive, Shannon View Drive, Cornerstone Drive and Hedgestone Drive saw evacuation orders downgraded to alerts.
View the up-to-date evacuation order and alert areas on cordemergency.ca/map.
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