McDougall Creek Wildfire update
Central Okanagan, B.C. – An estimated 405 properties remain under Evacuation Order and 20,111 on Evacuation Alert. With 283 on Evacuation Order within RDCO Electoral Area West and 122 within the City of West Kelowna. Evacuation Order and Alert areas can be confirmed at cordemergency.ca/map. As Evacuation Orders are downgraded, residents can access resources online to help make a safe return home by visiting cordemergency.ca/resources.
Safe re-entry into neighbourhoods is a priority. As critical infrastructure, such as hydro, gas and water treatment are restored, and danger trees and other hazardous materials are removed on public property, Evacuation Orders will be downgraded. It is anticipated that it will be one to two weeks before it is safe to remove Evacuation Orders still in place. The public is reminded not to enter areas under an Evacuation Order by land, water, or air.
The Emergency Operations Centre continues to contact property owners who experienced a loss of their homes or whose homes are uninhabitable because of the McDougall Creek Wildfire and will be completed by Thursday, Sept. 7 or earlier. Residents under evacuation order and whose properties sustained partial damage but with structures that are still habitable have been contacted by email.
Current Situation
The McDougall Creek Wildfire is estimated at 13,712 hectares and remains out of control. The fire continues to actively burn above the Powers Creek drainage located near the Glenrosa neighbourhood of West Kelowna. BC Wildfire Service, West Kelowna Fire Rescue, and RDCO Fire Services continue to coordinate protection and mitigation adjacent to and within the neighbourhoods in this area.
Yesterday morning saw increased fire behaviour due to an inversion and poor overnight recoveries, with some smouldering ground fire growth. Despite modest precipitation yesterday, approximately 2mm to the northwest and trace towards Lake Okanagan, potential for an increase in fire behaviour remains today.
BCWildfire Service and West Kelowna Fire Rescue are coordinating response efforts on this incident with support from the Regional District of Central Okanagan, and surrounding communities.
Along the west and southwest flanks, the wildfire is still actively burning above the ridgeline on the east side of the Powers Creek drainage system. Substantial forward planning has gone into addressing concerns in this area. To ensure hosing operations are ongoing, aerial resources continue bucketing in the area, filling water tanks/bladders along the ridge where personnel are working.
With control lines in place, low intensity planned ignition operations will be used to bring the fire down to these pre-established areas where crews can safely and effectively extinguish the fire’s edge. This planned ignition operation was scheduled yesterday, September 3, but conditions did not allow for the operation to be conducted. When conditions allow, planned ignition operations will be utilized to remove 150-hectares of unburnt fuels on the north side of Carrot Mountain and an additional 250-hectares on the northwest to west side of Carrot Mountain.
Infrared scans were completed last night throughout impacted residential areas along the southern portion of Westside Road. Personnel on site will continue to target and mop up remaining hot spots and heat identified through scans. Equipment will continue to be demobilized in areas where it is no longer required.
Residents in alert areas are advised the situation is dynamic and can change quickly. They are reminded to be ready with a grab and go bag to leave at a moment's notice and be away from home for an extended period.
Resources
Four heavy equipment task force teams continue to build contingency machine guard in the Glenrosa/Powers Creek area, connecting the Bear Main FSR around the west side of Crystal Mountain and back around into Glenrosa Road continuing east above the Glenrosa community.
An Incident Management Team and 12 helicopters are assigned to the complex with 251 firefighters, 35 operational field staff, 6 structure protection personnel, 45 pieces of heavy, and BC Hydro technicians and RCMP will be working throughout the day.
More information
Residents are asked to stay up to date through the CORD emergency site and subscribe to receive e-updates.
For more information, contact the information line at 250-469-8490 (local) or 1-877-569-8490.
For municipal and local government information such as landfill and transfer station hours, water restrictions, boat launch, park and road closures, visit their websites:
