CITY OF WEST KELOWNA COMMUNITY UPDATE: AUGUST 24, 2023
McDougall Creek Wildfire
Thursday, August 24, 2023
For all McDougall Creek Wildfire information, please contact cordemergency.ca.
STATUS OF McDOUGALL CREEK WILDFIRE IN WEST KELOWNA: REMAINS ‘NOT HELD’
Today, BC Wildfire confirmed that 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 along with 2.0 mm of rain again last night, is providing greater stability and fire suppression.
Chief Brolund of West Kelowna Fire Rescue confirmed today that no additional loss of structures occurred since yesterday. If you missed yesterday’s Community Update, a total of 84 properties within the City of West Kelowna and on Westbank First Nation land have experienced damage. Note that the number 84 is of properties, not structures. Further mapping and structure identification will result in the number of structures damaged and/or lost in the days ahead. 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 is conducting at least one planned hand-ignition in the Shannon Lake area of West Kelowna today. Depending on the outcome, additional hand-ignition operations may be required in the short-term. This is important and proactive fire suppression work. 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 fire fighters, 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 all 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 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 it 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.
NEW ONLINE SEARCH TOOL LAUNCHED BY THE EOC
The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) launched an online search tool yesterday 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.
View Today’s News Conference
The recorded news conference from today, August 24, can be viewed below.
THERE HAS BEEN ONE CHANGE TO WATER ORDERS IN WEST KELOWNA
NEW! The Do Not Consume Order has been downgraded to a Boil Water Notice for the Rose Valley-Lakeview Service Area. Read the full news release.
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:
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 Friday, August 25, 2023. Until further notice, please direct all inquiries to cordemergency.ca or call 250-469-8490 (local) or 1-877-569-8490 (toll-free).
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