McDougall Creek Wildfire Evacuation Alert expanded and Evacuation Order added

McDougall Creek Wildfire 2023

Central Okanagan, B.C. – A local state of emergency has been issued for the City of West Kelowna, a portion of Westbank First Nation and the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area due to advancing wildfire protection needs.  

The McDougall Creek Wildfire is currently estimated at 300 hectares and is classified as out of control.

An Evacuation Order is in place for 68 properties formerly on alert for the McDougall Creek Wildfire.

Residents on Evacuation Order must leave the area immediately. To ensure an orderly evacuation of residents in these areas, please follow directions from emergency personnel. Public safety and the protection of critical infrastructure are the primary concerns at this time.

Properties affected by the evacuation order include:

All properties accessed off of Bear Creek Road to the north of Parkinson Road (not including Parkinson Road).

  • Dougmac Road
  • Petterson Road
  • Rose Valley Road
  • 1045 Bear Creek Road
    • 2740 Smith Creek Road
    • 2850 Dixie Road
  • 1075 Bear Creek Road
  • 495 Bear Creek Road
  • 525 Bear Creek Road
  • 551 Bear Creek Road
  • 573 Bear Creek Road
  • 611 Bear Creek Road
  • 674 Bear Creek Road
  • 724 Bear Creek Road
  • 779 Bear Creek Road
  • 875 Bear Creek Road
  • 944 Bear Creek Road

Evacuation Alerts have also been expanded to include areas north of Traders Cove up to and including Caesars Landing. Residents must be ready to leave their home at a moment’s notice and be prepared to be away from their home for an extended period of time. Get ready and make arrangements for pets and livestock and pack essential items such as medicines and important documents.

More than 5,700 properties have been placed on Evacuation Alert in the following communities:

  • Bartley Road
  • Bear Creek Provincial Park
  • Caesars Landing
  • Pine Point
  • Raymer Bay
  • Rose Valley
  • Sailview Bay
  • Shannon Woods
  • Smith Creek
  • Tallus Ridge
  • Traders Cove
  • West Kelowna Estates
  • West Kelowna Industrial and Business Park
  • Wilsons Landing
  • Portions of Westbank First Nation IR#9
  • Portions of Westbank First Nation IR#10
  • Portions of the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area south of Bear Creek Main Forest Service Road, including the Bear Creek Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Site

Due to the number of properties under Alert and Order, refer to the interactive map on cordemergency.ca to search by street address to determine if you are affected.

Bear Creek Provincial Park is also under an Evacuation Alert and campers are advised to be ready to leave the area. Recreation areas within West Kelowna and Central Okanagan West Electoral Area are under Evacuation Order and the public is asked to leave the area immediately.

Evacuees should register online at https://ess.gov.bc.ca/ or attend the Information Centre at Royal LePage Place, 2760 Cameron Road in West Kelowna.

If you are evacuating, please connect with friends and family for options for temporary accommodations as tourism partners are at capacity.

A public information line is available at 250-469-8490 (local) or 1-877-569-8490 (toll-free) 

Emergency response personnel request that the public:

  • Pre-register at https://ess.gov.bc.ca/ ahead of time for Emergency Support Services who will work with the local Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team to create a plan to get animals and pets out safely.
  • Monitor conditions and follow the advice of emergency officials.
  • Prepare your grab-and-go kit and make a plan with family and friends.
  • Avoid the area so emergency responders can effectively perform their duties.
  • Please only call 911 in case of emergency.

For more information, visit cordemergency.ca and sign up for e-updates. Updates will be issued through the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre throughout the situation.

Weather alerts issued by Environment Canada are advising of gusty winds today and overnight Friday may worsen wildfire conditions and possible new fire starts.

For up-to-date information on the situation, including a map, and to sign up for e-updates, visit cordemergency.ca. Information will also be provided via twitter.com/CO_Emerg and facebook.com/CORDEmergency.

An update from the EOC is expected this afternoon and will issue further updates when more information is available.

For municipal and local government information such as potential road and parks closures, visit their websites:

Motorists considering travelling on Highway 97 and Westside Road visit drivebc.ca for up-to-date road closures information.