West Kelowna Fire Rescue continues to work on completely extinguishing the fire in Kalamoir Regional Park as the park hopes to reopen soon.
Crews continue to work on mop-up operations and extinguishing hot spots so residents in the area may notice lingering smoke and firefighting equipment in the area. The Regional District of Central Okanagan says unaffected areas of the park will be the first to open, however residents should avoid areas that remain closed. Affected areas may be closed for an extended period to assess hazards and work on recovery. Crews will conduct several assessments to ensure safety before reopening.
While residents would like the park to open as soon as possible, it has to be completely safe to do so, said RDCO Director of Parks Services Tracy Draper.
“We know Kalamoir Regional Park is deeply valued by the surrounding neighbourhood and by residents from across the region, and we understand people are eager to return. Our priority is the reopening of unaffected areas as soon as it is safe to do so. At the same time, areas impacted by the wildfire will remain closed until hazards have been identified and addressed. Public safety will continue to guide every decision as we move through the recovery process.”
The RDCO added that FireSmart practices like fuel mitigation played an important role in fire control in the park. However, residents must also be FireSmart in any regional, provincial or national parks they visit.
