Update: August 25, 4:20 a.m.
All tactical evacuation orders have been lifted for properties in Sail View Bay and along Bear Creek Road, north of Parkinson Road in West Kelowna.
Municipal and BC Wildfire Service crews will continue efforts to mop up the fire that began burning Tuesday afternoon in an area east of Rose Valley Reservoir. BCWS estimates the size of the wildfire at three hectares. For public safety reasons, residents and visitors must remain at a safe distance from the fire and all emergency response activities, which will remain ongoing in the area into Tuesday evening.
Westside Road is open to single lane alternating traffic. Please obey road crews and maintain safe speeds through the area. Motorists should not be stopping along Westside Road to observe or take photos of the wildfire and to allow crews to safely do their work. For further updates on Westside Road, please go to www.drivebc.ca.
For more information about this wildfire, visit cordemergency.ca, sign up for e-updates, follow the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre on facebook.com/cordemergency or twitter.com/CO_emerg or call the information line at 250-469-8490.
Update: August 24 , 4:22 p.m.
A portion of the tactical evacuation order has been lifted for Sail View Bay but remains in effect for all properties along Bear Creek Road, north of Parkinson Road as municipal and BC Wildfire Service crews continue efforts to suppress a fire burning east of Rose Valley Reservoir.
BCWS estimates the size of the wildfire at three hectares.
Westside Road is re-opened to single lane alternating traffic. Please obey road crews and maintain safe speeds through the area. Motorists should not be stopping along Westside Road to observe or take photos of the wildfire and to allow crews to safely do their work. For further updates on Westside Road, please go to www.drivebc.ca.
The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre remains activated to support West Kelowna, Kelowna, Wilson’s Landing and BC Wildfire Service crews fighting the wildfire.
For public safety reasons, residents and visitors must remain at a safe distance from the fire and all emergency response activities in the area.
For more information about this wildfire, visit cordemergency.ca, sign up for e-updates, follow the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre on facebook.com/cordemergency or twitter.com/CO_emerg or call the information line at 250-469-8490.
Update: August 24, 2:30 p.m.
The wildfire between Westside Road and Bear Creek Road has been knocked down.
It was in a unique area allowing fire crews to attack it from the top and the bottom.
West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund says the cause is not yet official, but it may have been a downed BC Hydro power line.
“We have West Kelowna, Kelowna, and Wilson’s Landing fire department crews here. I don’t expect it will grow any further, although we will be here for quite a while longer mopping the fire up.”
Westside Road remains closed while crews finish the job. Hydro has not yet been restored to some 290 homes.
“To those that we did ask to leave from the Bear Creek Road area, just be patient with us. I do anticipate that this won’t be a lengthy evacuation.”
Brolund commended the crews that have been working hard on the fire. “We had two helicopters here from BC Wildfire Service. They’ve done an amazing job of knocking this fire down along with our crews on the ground.”
Update: August 24, 1:32 p.m.
Central Okanagan, BC - The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre has been activated to support West Kelowna Fire Rescue, along with BC Wildfire Service crews, fighting a wildfire in the vicinity of Westside Road north of Sail View Bay.
Crews have begun tactical evacuations in areas surrounding the fire. All residents located on Bear Creek Road, north of Parkinson Road, including the Sail View Bay subdivision, are asked to evacuate the area immediately.
For public safety reasons, residents and visitors are reminded to maintain a safe distance from the fire and all fire suppression activities.
Motorists are reminded that they should not be stopping along Westside Road to observe or take photos of the wildfire and to allow crews to safely do their work. Motorists are to follow the direction of road crews.
For more information about this wildfire, visit cordemergency.ca, sign up for e-updates, follow the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre on facebook.com/cordemergency or twitter.com/CO_emerg or call the information line at 250-469-8490.
Original: August 24, 12:15 p.m.
The BC Widfire Serivce says 4 of their ground crew are assisting the West Kelowna fire Department on the scene. Two helicopters are dropping bucket after bucket of water. Smoke is less than when the fire broke out as a result.
it's estimated at 3 hectares in size right now.
BC Hydro says power is out in the immediate area, affecting some 290 customers. Hydro's outage map lists the cause as a tree down on power lines. That apparently happened before the wildfire broke out.
A new fire appears to be south of Bear Creek Provincial Park.
Smoke is clearly visible from downtown Kelowna.
The West Kelowna Fire Department is on scene.
Apparently Westside road has been closed in the area.
There is a tactical evacuation of nearby homes underway.
BC Wildfire has been called in to help.
We'll update as soon as we have more information.