Ask West Kelowna
What's new
Campfire ban
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Effective September 28, 2023, the ban on campfires has been lifted in most Central Okanagan areas. View the full News Release.
FireSmart local grant program
- As of July 5, 2023, residents, community associations, and strata properties within the City of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation are eligible to apply for the local grant program until Oct. 31, 2023. FireSmart work must be first identified in the free home assessment and completed within the campaign period.
- Grants are limited to 50 percent of the total cost of your project up to $500. This year, projects that go to exceptional lengths to "FireSmart" their property could be eligible for a maximum of $1000 at the discretion of WKFR FireSmart Professionals.
- Learn more at westkelownacity.ca/firesmart.
About West Kelowna Fire Rescue
West Kelowna Fire Rescue is dedicated to providing emergency response, fire prevention and protection and rescue services for City of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation residents. The department also partners with fire and rescue services in other jurisdictions to help with regional, provincial and national emergencies, when required.
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Emergencies and wildfire preparedness |
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Call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency or if you see smoke or a fire. In the event of a wildfire or natural disaster, visit cordemergency.ca for information on evacuation alerts and orders, emergency reception centre locations, and other important details including how to safely return to your home after a flood or wildfire. Additional resources:
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Fire Danger Rating |
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Fire danger ratings can change significantly during fire season. See West Kelowna's current rating. To learn more about wildfire response in British Columbia, including a list of active fires, official danger ratings throughout the province and how to prevent forest and grass fires, visit BC Wildfire. |
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Campfires, fire pits, fireworks and open burning |
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Campfires Effective June 8, 2023, at 12 p.m., all campfires are prohibited throughout all Central Okanagan municipalities and electoral area Fire Service Areas to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety. Due to extreme temperatures, dry conditions and the high-extreme fire danger rating, the campfire ban will remain in effect until further notice. Cigarettes, smoking and vaping All smoking materials must be carefully extinguished. Motorists must not to throw cigarettes or other smoking materials from their vehicles. Smoking is not allowed in any City park or regional park. Fireworks Only professional public displays are permitted once a license has been obtained from the Fire Chief. Contact us for more information at 778-797-3200. Open burning permits Opening burning permits are not currently available for eligible property owners. Open burning season is typically from Oct. 1 to April 30, but local fire chiefs may shorten the season in the interest of public health and safety. To obtain a burning permit, during the season, call:
For more information on open burning eligibility and conditions in the Central Okanagan, please visit the Regional Air Quality Program’s website at rdco.com/airquality.
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Regional Air Quality Program |
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Our community cares about clean air. Outdoor burning regulations provide residents greater protection from the impact of concentrated smoke. To learn more about outdoor burning regulations, please visit the Regional Air Quality website. If you have questions or require more information, please contact the Regional Air Quality Program via email or by phone at 250-469-8408. |
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Firefighter Recruitment - Career and Paid On-Call |
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Looking for a challenging and rewarding career with West Kelowna Fire Rescue? For available recruitment opportunities, visit careers.westkelownacity.ca. |
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Fire House #30 |
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In early 2023, West Kelowna Fire Rescue administration staff moved from the existing Fire Hall #32 to Fire House #30 to centralize WKFR administration from Fire Hall #32 and other satellite locations and reduce the size of the future building that would be required to replace the existing Fire Hall #32.
The office is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday. Community members can come to Fire House #30 for:
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| Replacement of Fire Hall #32 |
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The City has identified a site within a proposed portion of the Anders Park area for the replacement Fire Hall #32 in the Lakeview Heights neighbourhood. At this stage, we have only selected the site. Staff will now take next steps that would include seeking Council’s further direction to prepare a business case. It would define the project’s scope, budget, concept design, and stakeholder and public consultation for Council’s consideration in the coming months.
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| Bylaws |
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Four primary bylaws relate to West Kelowna Fire Rescue operations and regulate such things as burning, campfires, fees and charges, fire hydrants, fireworks and nuisance smoke:
Visit the bylaw page for a complete list of West Kelowna bylaws. |
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