West Kelowna Fire Rescue (WKFR) 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 partners with fire/rescue services in other jurisdictions when needed to deal with regional, provincial and national emergencies.
Fire House #30 |
On Feb. 1, 2022, the City acquired a residential dwelling at 2406 Drought Road, which is slated to be the future home of Fire House #30. This move to centralize WKFR administration from Fire Hall #32 and other satellite locations to Fire House #30.
Once operational it will be 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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9-1-1 Emergencies and Emergency Response |
Call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency or if you see smoke. In the event of a forest fire or natural disaster go to 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. |
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:
Visit the bylaw page for a complete list of West Kelowna bylaws. |
Campfires, Fire Pits, Fireworks and Open Burning |
Burning Permits/Open BurningStarting October 1, open burning permits will be available for eligible West Kelowna property owners. Permits are required during open burning season and only issued for properties greater than one hectare, under specific conditions including suitable air quality and adequate venting. Open burning season is typically from October 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, call:
Check today's Air Quality/Venting conditions. CampfiresCampfire information for West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation fire protection areas.
For immediate release: from the Regional District of Central Okanagan
Monday, Sept. 20, 2021
Effective immediately, the ban on campfires has been lifted in most Central Okanagan areas. Campfires are not permitted at any time within the City of Kelowna.
The ban on campfires within most local government fire jurisdictions in the Central Okanagan has been in place since June 30. Recent showers and cooler, seasonal temperatures have lowered the potential fire threat to moderate.
With appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of a fire, campfires are once again allowed within the Regional District of Central Okanagan fire protection areas (Ellison, Joe Rich, North Westside, Wilson’s Landing), the City of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation, District of Lake Country and District of Peachland. Anyone having a campfire must ensure the fire is attended at all times, have tools on hand to contain the fire and make sure it is fully extinguished.
All smoking materials should be carefully extinguished and motorists are reminded not to throw cigarettes or other smoking materials from their vehicle. As well, smoking is not allowed in any RDCO regional park or municipal park. Smoking is also prohibited in children’s play areas, sports fields, undeveloped parks and wilderness trails in the District of Peachland.
Please remember that fireworks are not allowed at any time in most areas of the Central Okanagan. Use of fireworks in the District of Lake Country and City of West Kelowna must be approved in writing by the Fire Chief.
Fireworks
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Firefighter Recruitment - Career |
![]() Firefighting is a challenging and demanding occupation. Firefighters must respond Career Firefighting Requirements Minimum Qualifications at time of application:
Preferred qualifications/skills are:
Check careers.westkelownacity.ca for available recruitment opportunities. |
Firefighter Recruitment - Paid on Call |
Paid On Call Firefighting RequirementsMinimum requirements at time of application are:
The Paid On-Call recruit training program is an 18 month process comprised of four hours on Tuesday evenings and one mandatory weekend per month. The training is designed to give the necessary skills to be a Paid On-Call member with West Kelowna Fire Rescue. Training topics will cover Emergency Medical First Responder 3 with AED and Spinal, NFPA 1001, S100/S130 Wildland Firefighter and JIBC Live Fire 1. |
Open Burning and 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. |
Wildfire Danger Rating |
For the current rating, see the BC Wildfire Service's West Kelowna Fire Danger Rating. Fire danger ratings can change significantly during fire season, from approximately May to October. 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, please visit BC Wildfire. |
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