McDougall Creek Wildfire Information

The McDougall Creek Wildfire was a wildfire in the Central Okanagan region of British Columbia that started 10 kilometres north of the City of West Kelowna on August 15, 2023. As the wildfire expanded rapidly, the Mayor of West Kelowna issued a Local State of Emergency on August 16, followed by Provincial and Federal orders to provide support to the affected communities. Wildfire management and community support services was led by a centralized Emergency Response Centre (EOC) in the Central Okanagan, which was comprised of local and regional governments, including the City of West Kelowna.

The McDougall Creek Wildfire was the largest wildfire in the history of West Kelowna. Over 10,000 residents in the City were evacuated in phases over three days, in addition to evacuation orders implemented in the neighbouring communities of Westbank First Nation. Additional wildfires caused evacuations in the West Electoral Area of the Central Okanagan Regional District, the City of Kelowna and the District of Lake Country. BC Wildfire Service, together with more than 500 firefighters from municipalities across British Columbia and the U.S., were battling the blaze from the ground and air for several weeks.

On September 20, 2023, BC Wildfire Service declared the fire as "held", and on September 24, the fire was no longer considered a "Wildfire of Note". The Local State of Emergency was rescinded on October 10 by West Kelowna Mayor and Council.

The City of West Kelowna remains deeply grateful to BC Wildfire, the many firefighters, and the RCMP, for putting themselves in harm's way to protect our West Kelowna community. There was an army of people battling the wildfire, and an army of people that ensured the safe return home for our residents.

Risk Assessment and Hazardous Tree Felling (Removal)

As part of the McDougall Creek Wildfire recovery, the City is assessing and identifying hazardous trees located in West Kelowna that may pose a risk to public safety or restrict access.

Work is being done in partnership with the Province of British Columbia to fell identified trees located on City land within the public road right-of-way that pose an imminent threat to public safety or along areas where access is essential to public works.

The map area below shows the geographic area at risk for hazardous trees affected by the wildfire. Hazardous tree assessments and activity on Westbank First Nation land, Crown land and land in the Central Okanagan Regional District is the responsibility of those organizations.

Coarse Woody Debris and Hauling 

Coarse woody debris (CWD) consists of dead and downed wood such as logs, uprooted stumps, large branches and coarse roots in all stages of decomposition. CWD will be identified in some areas to remain on the ground as it plays an important role in the growth of forest plants and trees in nurse stumps and nurse logs. The arrangement, diversity, distribution and abundance of CWD is critical in providing the benefits to biodiversity, health and appearance of our natural rural and urban areas as:

• Provides a source of food, water, shelter to a wide array of wildlife
• Provides refuge for micro-organisms and plant roots and a slow release of nutrients
• Absorbs and retains large amounts of moisture and stores carbon
• Contributes to soil structure, stability, moisture content and pH levels
• Increases the vertical and horizontal structural diversity and total surface area of the forest floor and affects slope geomorphology

CWD in Rural City of West Kelowna Areas

In more rural areas, such as forested areas, leaving CWD on the forest floor as part of forest management will be more common. Rural areas may be in the City limits or may be part of the Central Okanagan Regional District, Westbank First Nation land and/or on Crown land owned by the Province of BC.

• For mapping information about your area please visit the City’s GIS maps located here or view map to the right.

Residents in rural City areas can expect to see identified trees felled with CWD remaining in some areas following the McDougall Creek Wildfire. Full clean up and removal will be less likely in rural areas unless identified as a risk to public health and safety.

CWD In Urban City of West Kelowna Areas

In urban areas, the amount of CWD will be determined by the method in which hazard trees are felled. In some cases, felling hazard trees will result in clean up and removal. In other cases, similar to the rural approach, some trees have been identified for felling but not hauling. Residents can expect to see some downed trees that were identified for felling, remain on the ground.

Residents are advised not to dispose of dead or felled trees, whether on private or public property, on any City boulevard or City lands. Residents are reminded that removal of dead or felled trees on private property is the responsibility of the private property owner. Due to the significant volume of dead or felled trees on City lands, the City is determining remediation actions and potential budget implications with an unexpected major wildfire event.

• For more information about CWD, please visit 3.4 Coarse woody debris - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca).
• If residents have questions regarding tree felling, please contact the City at 778-797-1000. 

Risk Assessment and Hazardous Tree Felling Underway in Phases

June through Fall 2024

Hazardous trees, within the public road right of way, have the potential to cause imminent threats to public safety and our public transportation network.  It should be noted that trees that clearly fall on private property, where the City does not have access need that are essential to public work, are not included in the scope of this work. The City’s recommendation for any hazardous tree(s) on private property is for the property owner to promptly remove the tree(s).

Assessments are being conducted by contractors through the month of June 2024 now that grant funding is in place. Any hazard trees identified within the public road right of way, or along areas where access is essential to public works, will be felled throughout the summer and into the fall as scheduling allows.

Based on initial site reviews, the Province’s hazard tree assessors will be doing a detailed assessment of trees throughout the areas of West Kelowna that were impacted by the wildfire. These detailed assessments will then identify the specific trees that need to be felled. The City will then make a recovery grant application for funding support to fell these trees.

Upon approval, the trees will be felled accordingly.  In rural areas (e.g. areas with no additional impact to public safety), trees will be felled only.  In residential areas, where trees cannot simply be felled only, the City and the Province will be felling and conducting cleanup accordingly.

Assessment activity and tree removal is being conducted in phases with the progress and timing of each phase affecting the next. Additional phasing of work may be required after fall 2024 should activity in the fall not be completed.

• If residents have questions regarding tree felling, please contact the City at 778-797-1000.