CITY OF WEST KELOWNA COMMUNITY UPDATE: AUGUST 25, 2023

McDougall Creek Wildfire

Friday, August 25, 2023

For all McDougall Creek Wildfire information, please contact cordemergency.ca.

STATUS OF McDOUGALL CREEK WILDFIRE IN WEST KELOWNA: REMAINS ‘NOT HELD’

The McDougall Creek Wildfire remains ‘not held’ so no change to yesterday’s update. This means we are still in an active wildfire stage in West Kelowna. BC Wildfire indicated that continued promising weather conditions since yesterday, including cooler temperatures, is providing greater stability and fire suppression.

Chief Brolund of West Kelowna Fire Rescue indicated that no additional loss of structures occurred. Personal contact with all property owners who have experienced damage to their property in West Kelowna and on Westbank First Nation land remains a top priority. This will take time and, for those affected, we thank you for your patience for a safe return home.

IMPORTANT NOTE: BC Wildfire conducted one planned hand-ignition in the Shannon Lake area of West Kelowna yesterday, which went very well. If required over the weekend, additional hand-ignition operations may be required in the short-term. This is important and proactive fire suppression work and remains part of the safe return home process. The public will see active fire and smoke with this operation. If the public is unsure of planned hand-ignition areas in West Kelowna, please contact cordemergency.ca or view information that BC Wildfire has provided here:

WATCH FOR PHASED EVACUATION ALERTS AND ORDER RESCINDS IN WEST KELOWNA

BC Wildfire, together with local and visiting firefighters, continue their priority to extinguish the McDougall Creek Wildfire and implement a safe return home in phases in our community. This is complex and remains paramount to everyone working hard to get those who are evacuated home as safely and quickly as possible. Safe return home factors include:

Ensuring that fires are extinguished in your neighbourhood;
Debris must be out of the way;
Travel to and from your home must be safe, including wildfire crews no longer requiring access to your neighbourhood;
Utilities must be safely reinstated, such as power, gas and water; and
Weather continues to play a significant factor in fire suppression and your safe return home.

Residents in neighbourhoods that experienced less damage are anticipated to be returned home first. Neighbourhoods with significant damage will take longer in a phased return home plan. Everyone working hard to get our community home expresses sincere thanks for your patience. Road closures due to the wildfire will remain in effect and we thank residents and visitors for adhering to those road closures.

Please watch for increased rescinding of Evacuation Alerts and Orders issued from the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) that will be completed in small phases today and over the next several days when it is safe to do so. This is encouraging for our West Kelowna community but BC Wildfire and West Kelowna Fire Rescue emphasize that each area must be safe first.

All Emergency Support Services (ESS) information is found on cordemergency.ca. ESS has added resources to help with the significant processing delays for the public requiring support. Residents currently on evacuation order are strongly encouraged to register with Emergency Support Services at ess.gov.bc.ca to ensure that contact information for affected property owners is up to date.

ONLINE SEARCH TOOL LAUNCHED BY THE EOC

The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) launched an online search tool for City of West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation and Central Okanagan West Electoral Area properties that have experienced partial and/or full structure loss resulting from the McDougall Creek Wildfire.

Property owners who have been placed on Evacuation Order can search to see if their property has incurred losses by visiting cordemergency.ca/propertyinfo. If your property has not been placed on Evacuation Order, your address will not show. The EOC asks the general public to be respectful of this process – if you are not on an Evacuation Order please do not use the search tool.

VISIT FROM PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU TODAY

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met in-person with the City of West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, the RDCO and the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area, the City of Lake Country and the City of Kelowna to discuss Federal Government support for wildfire prevention, mitigation and recovery. At the Westbank First Nation office this morning, Mayor Milsom spoke with the Prime Minister to reiterate West Kelowna’s priority for predicable, long-term wildfire management funding from the Federal Government. He also expressed concerns about the need for increased long-term funding from the Province of BC that remains insufficient for our community. The City is grateful for Prime Minister Trudeau for taking a significant amount of time to speak one-on-one with firefighters at West Kelowna Fire Hall #31 today.

THE FOLLOWING WATER ORDERS REMAIN IN EFFECT IN WEST KELOWNA

The Do Not Consume Order was downgraded to a Boil Water Notice for the Rose Valley-Lakeview Service Area.
The Do Not Consume Order remains in place for the West Kelowna Estates Water System.
The Boil Water Notice for the Sunnyside/Pritchard Water System remains in place.
Stage 3 Watering Regulations remain in place city-wide.

To view the City of West Kelowna Water Quality Map, please click here:

westkelownacity.ca/waterqualitymap

More information from Interior Health about what a Do Not Consume Order means can be found here:

CITY’S NEXT UPDATE

The next Community Update will be issued on Saturday, August 26, 2023. Until further notice, please direct all inquiries to cordemergency.ca or call

250-469-8490 (local) or 1-877-569-8490 (toll-free).