Shelter Cove Fire News Release 10

The Evacuation Order for the active 430-hectare Shelter Cove fire remains in effect for approximately 70 homes along Westside Road.

Properties affected by the Order include those along Westside Road from Denison Road north to La Casa Resort (but not including La Casa), as well as the following roads: Denison Road, Shelter Cove Road and Deighton Road. This address range has been adjusted to correspond to the map and Declaration of Local Emergency and to correct a previous oversight in addresses that are impacted by the Evacuation.

There are no Evacuation Alerts associated with this fire. Neither La Casa Resort or Lake Okanagan Resort are under the Evacuation Order or Alert at this time.

Residents in the Evacuation Order area should register at the Emergency Support Services Reception Centre if they have not yet done so. Emergency Management BC has approved an extension to accommodation for those registered for up to 72 hours should that be needed. The Reception Centre is located in the Westside Lions Community Hall, 2466 Main Street in West Kelowna. The Centre will close tonight at 6:00 pm and will open again tomorrow at 8:30 am.  (Corrected opening time at 5:40pm)

More than 1,400 customers lost power on Monday after emergency officials asked BC Hydro to de-energize a power line after the Westside Road wildfire burnt through it. On Tuesday evening, crews were able to switch some customers to another circuit, restoring power to 300 customers.

BC Hydro has no indication at this time of when crews will be able to access the area to begin assessing damage to lines and poles to begin power restoration.  Starting at 4:00 pm today, BC Hydro is providing power from a different circuit, with limited capacity, on a rotating basis. There will be three rotations, each six hours long, providing power to 300 customers at a time. Customers can expect to receive six hours of power during an 18-hour cycle.

Of the 1,100 customers without power, this solution will provide power to 900 customers on a rotating basis. This rotation will continue until BC Hydro can make repairs to the system or can install a temporary solution like a diesel generating unit. Two hundred customers directly in the fire zone and in the La Casa subdivision will not be able to receive this rotational power.

BC Hydro crews are ready to respond as soon as access is provided. This includes the assembly of the appropriate materials, crews, designers and other experts that may be required.

To ensure that the system does not get overloaded, BC Hydro is asking customers to minimize their power usage until the wildfire has been contained and we are able to fully repair our system. Please plug in and turn on only what is necessary.

For the latest information regarding power outages, visit the BC Hydro website at bchydro.com

For the most up to date information on the fire, visit cordemergency.ca