Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

West Kelowna evacuations triple, as City of Kelowna declares wildfire emergency

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 18 Aug, 2023 09:47 AM
  • West Kelowna evacuations triple, as City of Kelowna declares wildfire emergency

A state of emergency has been declared in the City of Kelowna, B.C., and thousands more West Kelowna residents have been ordered to leave their homes in the face of a fast-burning wildfire that caused hills surrounding their Okanagan community to erupt in flames.

The "very active and unpredictable" McDougall Creek wildfire has grown more than six times during a frightening night, destroying homes and putting more than 2,400 West Kelowna properties under evacuation order, up from about 800 Thursday afternoon.

Spot fires sparked on the east side of Lake Okanagan prompted the declaration of a state of emergency for the City of Kelowna around midnight.

A local state of emergency was already in place in West Kelowna because of the McDougall Creek fire that's threatening suburbs, schools and businesses in the city. 

The BC Wildfire Service said the fire is now 68 square kilometres in size, up from 11 square kilometres late Thursday afternoon.

Fire crews are bracing for what the operations director with the BC Wildfire Service predicts will be the most challenging days of the provincial wildfire season.

A further 4,800 West Kelowna properties are under an evacuation alert, with residents told to be ready to flee at short notice, due to the McDougall Creek fire.

An overnight news release from the Central Okanagan Emergency Operation Centre said officials have confirmed some structural loss, and a full assessment of the affected areas will be conducted in the morning. The announcement comes after numerous images on social media showed homes engulfed in flames in the Westside Road area of West Kelowna.

The fire threat forced the closure of Highway 97 in both directions for 14 kilometres between West Kelowna and Kelowna.

An evacuation order has been issued for the Clifton Road North and McKinley neighbourhoods, as well as for properties surrounding Hidden Lake and Still Pond. Residents along the west side of Glenmore Road from McKinley Beach to John Hindle Road have been put on evacuation alert.

To the west, the rapidly growing Kookipi Creek wildfire has prompted multiple evacuation orders and alerts for Blue Sky Country, Nahatlatch Provincial Park and the surrounding area.

Cliff Chapman, director of operations for the BC Wildfire Service, says the cold front that began sweeping the southern half of the province Thursday is bringing high, unpredictable winds and dry lightning, creating the potential for new fires and growth on those crews are trying to contain.

Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma says the wildfire service has "significant resources" tackling the West Kelowna fire, which is burning just a few kilometres away from the city, but she urges everyone in the region to prepare in case they are ordered to leave.

Of the 374 active fires in the province, 159 of them remain out of control, and more than a dozen of those are either highly visible or a threat to a community.

MORE National ARTICLES

As Singh tours Atlantic Canada, New Democrats look to flip Liberal seats

As Singh tours Atlantic Canada, New Democrats look to flip Liberal seats
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is touring Atlantic Canada in an effort to highlight affordability issues — and flip two Liberal seats in the next federal election. Singh says voters who are increasingly struggling with the cost of living are dissatisfied with the federal government.

As Singh tours Atlantic Canada, New Democrats look to flip Liberal seats

Residents of Osoyoos, B.C., heading home after harrowing fire fight

Residents of Osoyoos, B.C., heading home after harrowing fire fight
BC Wildfire Service spokeswoman Shaelee Stearns says the reins in the fight against the Eagle Bluff fire are being transitioned to a new management team that will be in constant contact with U.S. counterparts. The fire has scorched more than 14 square kilometres on the B.C. side of the border and 40 square kilometres on the U.S side, where it has destroyed several structures.

Residents of Osoyoos, B.C., heading home after harrowing fire fight

Family of man who died in plane crash, along with five others, remembered as loving

Family of man who died in plane crash, along with five others, remembered as loving
Kirk Mealey was one of the six people aboard a small private plane that took off from Springbank Airport, west of Calgary, on Friday night and was headed to Salmon Arm, B.C. A family statement says Mealey's wife is expecting their son to be born late in August.

Family of man who died in plane crash, along with five others, remembered as loving

United Blvd. / Burbidge St. shut down in Coquitlam due to crash

United Blvd. / Burbidge St. shut down in Coquitlam due to crash
Officers responded to the accident and currently have the road closed both directions at United Blvd. / Burbidge St. Coquitlam B.C. The investigation is in the evidence gathering phase.

United Blvd. / Burbidge St. shut down in Coquitlam due to crash

Trudeau appears at news conference with bandage after bumping head

Trudeau appears at news conference with bandage after bumping head
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared at a news conference Monday with a bandage in the middle of his forehead.  A spokesperson for Trudeau says he bumped his head while he was playing with his kids over the weekend.   

Trudeau appears at news conference with bandage after bumping head

2 homicides in Prince George

2 homicides in Prince George
The Mounties say in the first incident, a woman was found dead in a Prince George home on July 17. They say a day later, a 22-year-old woman was found dead in what police say was a targeted event.  

2 homicides in Prince George