McDougall Creek downgrade of orders and operational update
Central Okanagan, B.C. – Properties along Westside Road from Bear Creek Forest Service Road South to Westbank First Nation, the Regional District of Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre on behalf of City of West Kelowna, has downgraded the following properties from an Evacuation Order to an Evacuation Alert:
- Except for the property immediately surrounding 550 Westside Road, 7 properties directly adjacent to the west and northwest of Westside Road from 605 Westside Road to 531 Westside Road, including:
- 539 Westside Road S
- 550 Westside Road S
- 575 Westside Road S
- 605 Westside Road S
To view the map of areas remaining under evacuation order and alert, please visit cordemergency.ca
Residents returning to these areas are reminded that they are now on Evacuation Alert and must be prepared to leave at a moment's notice and be away from home for an extended period.
There are 77 properties remaining on Evacuation Order and 4,882 properties on Evacuation Alert in the Central Okanagan.
With more residents returning home from the McDougall Creek wildfire, motorists using Westside Road must use caution when travelling and be aware of wildfire crews onsite, vehicles and heavy equipment. Other cautions and hazards to be wary of include hazardous tree removals, increased public presence, wildlife and changing road conditions.
Area Restriction Order
BC Wildfire Service has extended the McDougall Creek wildfire Area Restriction Order, and remains in force until 12 p.m. on October 3, 2023 or until the Order is rescinded. Bear Creek Provincial Park remains closed to the public. Please avoid entering Bear Creek Provincial Park from both the main entrance on Westside Road as well as from the waterfront onto the beach.
No-drone zone
Drones continue to be spotted in the wildfire area putting lives at risk and disrupting efforts of BC Wildfire Service. The airspace used by wildfire response aircraft is prohibited to limit any interference and to allow aircraft to focus on wildfire suppression. The restricted area is within a radius of five nautical miles around the fire and to an altitude of 3,000 feet above ground level. Anyone interfering with wildfire control efforts, including the use of drones, can face penalties up to $100,000 and/or up to one year in jail. Learn more about restrictions here
Returning home
Residents returning home can find important checklists, contact numbers and frequently asked questions in the Returning Home Guide
Home clean-up kits have been donated by Red Cross and are available for pick up at the Resiliency Centre. Additional support services and resources can be accessed at the centre:
- Address: 403 – 3031 Louie Drive, Governor’s Landing, Westbank First Nation
- Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Call 250-469-6327 or email resiliency.centre@rdco.com
When returning to wildfire-affected areas, residents are asked to be cautious as conditions have changed to varying degrees. Know your hazards after a wildfire, visit the Province of B.C.’s website.
For the safety of the public, please respect barricades and closures in wildfire-affected outdoor spaces and privacy of others on neighbouring properties and refrain from trespassing.
Current active wildfire situation
The BC Wildfire Service reports that the McDougall Creek wildfire remains out of control. It is being actioned by an Incident Management Team, six helicopters, 168 firefighters, 39 operational field staff, 29 pieces of heavy equipment, and BC Hydro technicians and RCMP.
The wildfire is estimated at 13,970.4 hectares with no confirmed growth in the past 24 hours. Planned aerial ignitions are anticipated to occur next week in the Hidden Creek area. Updates will be provided to when this ignition will occur by BC Wildfire Service once the decision has been made. This ignition will be less than ten hectares in size and will only occur if the weather conditions are favorable.
It is expected there will be no change of remaining orders throughout the weekend.
For updates on evacuation alerts and order areas, go to cordemergency.ca.
Stay up to date
Visit the BC Wildfire Service website for McDougall Creek Wildfire incident information.
Residents are encouraged to visit cordermergency.ca and subscribe to receive e-updates.
For municipal and local government information such as garbage collection and transfer station hours, water quality updates, park and local road closures, visit:
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