Fire and Rescue

Fire Hall #32 Replacement Project

We're enhancing safety in the Lakeview Heights neighbourhood by replacing Fire Hall #32, while improving our parks and recreation infrastructure to support our active community.

Learn more about the project at OurWK.ca/firehall32. 

Bylaws

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:

• Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2010, No. 0093
• City of West Kelowna Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 0095
• City of West Kelowna Fire Rescue Establishment and Operations Bylaw 2010 No. 0114
• Smoke Control Regulatory Bylaw No. 773

Visit the bylaw page for a complete list of West Kelowna bylaws.

Campfires, fire pits, fireworks and open burning

Campfires
Effective Aug. 27, 2024, the campfire ban in the City of West Kelowna is lifted until further notice – if having a campfire, ensure it is always attended, have tools and water on hand for containment, and fully extinguish upon leaving. 

Thank you for continuing to be FireSmart, West Kelowna!

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:

• 778-797-3200

• Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (excluding holidays), closed noon to 1 p.m.

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.    

Campfire Restrictions

Campfire Restrictions (dimensions shown below) for West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation fire protection areas:

• Campfires are NOT allowed when a campfire ban is in effect.
• When campfires are permitted, the campfire must comply with provincial campfire regulations.

• A source of extinguishment must be nearby (minimum one hand tool or 8 litres of water).

• The campfire must be continuously controlled and supervised by a competent person.

• It must comply with City of West Kelowna Bylaw 0114 and Westbank First Nation law 2005-11.

• If West Kelowna Fire Rescue receives a complaint, they will come out to investigate.

• Only seasoned firewood is permitted. Burning of yard waste and construction material is prohibited.

• Fires determined to be creating nuisance smoke due to environmental conditions, or unseasoned firewood, must be extinguished.

Fire pit = 1.5 foot max 

Around fire pit = 3 feet mineral soil 

You are required to have 12 feet of clear space around the circumference

Emergencies and wildfire preparedness

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:

• FireSmart Evacuation Checklist: A last-minute checklist for protecting your home and property from wildfire. 
• Wildfire preparedness guide: Learn about how to prepare your home and protect your property before a wildfire. 

Fire Danger Rating

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.

Firefighter Recruitment - Career and Paid On-Call

Looking for a challenging and rewarding career with West Kelowna Fire Rescue? For available recruitment opportunities, visit westkelownacity.ca/jobs.

Fire House #30

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.

• Read the March 8, 2022 Council Report
• View the Fire Hall Update Guide – March 2022
  

Fire House #30 is open to the public for any inquiries related to West Kelowna Fire and Rescue Services.

The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday - Friday, or staff can be reached at 778-797-3200. 

FireSmart

FireSmart staff are currently prioritizing more than 100 requests already in the queue and our 2024 FireSmart homeowners grant program is fully subscribed, at this time, due to ongoing high interest and carry over inquiries from 2023.

More information can be found here. 

Did you know?

A well-maintained home, with a fire-resistant roof and a FireSmart immediate and Intermediate zone (zero to 10 metres from the home) is 90 percent more likely to survive a wildfire.

Regional Air Quality Program

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.