Process begins for notification of property status
Kelowna, B.C. – The Emergency Operations Centre has launched an online search tool for City of West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation and Central Okanagan West Electoral Area properties that have experienced partial to full structure loss resulting from the McDougall Creek Wildfire.
Property owners who have been placed on Evacuation Order can search to see if their property has incurred losses by visiting www.cordemergency.ca/propertyinfo. If your property has not been placed on Evacuation Order, your address will not show. The Emergency Operation Centre asks the general public to be respectful of this process – if you are not on evacuation order do not use the search tool.
The search tool follows the work of Canada Task Force 1 Team, which completed assessments to identify properties that incurred losses in the wildfires. This was the first step in aiding in the public notification process. Further hazard assessments must now be completed at each property, to determine the number and types of structures lost on each property. That process is completed in the City of Kelowna and District of Lake Country. The process will take longer but remains a priority in the communities of West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation and the Regional District of the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area where losses have been greater.
To date, three of the four property owners in Kelowna and three properties in Lake Country have been contacted to confirm significant structural damage on their properties. These properties are not included in the search tool.
The EOC expresses condolences to everyone who has experienced losses from the McDougall Creek, Clifton/McKinley and Lake Country Wildfires.
“Some of the most challenging days are ahead. People and communities will learn of monumental loss. This will be a process of grief collectively. As we move into recovery, the needs of each impacted community will be different,” said Loyal Wooldridge, Regional District of Central Okanagan Chairperson.
“Communities have experienced great impacts and losses and will take more time to recover. I am confident that our collective resilience will guide us forward,” Wooldridge said. “Let us honour the sacrifice and efforts made by so many over the past few days by confronting these challenges with unity and compassion. United as a region, we will recover, rebuild and restore.”
Residents currently on evacuation order are strongly encouraged to register with Emergency Support Services at https://ess.gov.bc.ca to ensure contact information for any affected property owners is up to date.
Total Assessed Numbers
Data collected by Canada Task Force 1 shows the following number of properties were impacted by the fires. These numbers reflect the number of properties, not the number of structures. Some properties may have multiple structural losses. Structure counts will only be known after further hazard assessments can be completed at each property. Separated numbers for Westbank First Nation and the City of West Kelowna must still be confirmed.
|
Jurisdiction |
Number of properties |
|
City of Kelowna |
4 |
|
City of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation |
84 |
|
District of Lake Country |
3 |
|
Regional District of Central Okanagan West Electoral Area |
90 |
Patience is requested during this process as assessments are conducted within a large area with ongoing wildfire hazards and will require time to ensure accuracy.
Moving to recovery, what to do when an Evacuation Order is rescinded in your area:
As Evacuation Orders are downgraded, residents returning home can access frequently asked questions and other resources at cordemergency.ca to aid in a safe return.
The public is reminded, for their safety and that of fire crews, not to enter areas under an Evacuation Order. Many areas still exist where active firefighting is underway and ongoing dangers like downed power lines, hazardous materials, damaged trees, debris and equipment pose risks.
Residents are asked to stay up to date with the status of evacuation alerts and orders through the CORD emergency site and to also subscribe to receive e-updates. Go online to cordemergency.ca. View the up-to-date evacuation order and alert areas on cordemergency.ca/map.
For more information, contact the information line at 250-469-8490 (local) or 1-877-569-8490 (toll-free). While we welcome all inquiries, the Emergency Operation Centre is also appealing to the public to only call the public information line if their matter is urgent, if they are on Evacuation Order or if they have been called to confirm a loss on their property. This will allow the Emergency Operations Centre the time to focus resources on helping those who need it most at this difficult time. For emergencies, call 9-1-1.
For municipal and local government information such as boat launch, park and road closures, visit their websites:
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