Over 750 more West Kelowna properties ordered to evacuate amid wildfire threat
Posted August 17, 2023 7:00 pm.
Last Updated August 17, 2023 7:06 pm.
Over 750 additional West Kelowna properties have been ordered to evacuate as a nearby wildfire continues to keep locals on alert.
Central Okanagan Emergency Operations added 763 properties to its initial Thursday evacuation order just after 5:30 p.m., bringing the total up to 831.
Hundreds of properties in and around West Kelowna have been ordered to evacuate and thousands more have been placed on evacuation alert as the nearby McDougall Creek Fire burns out of control. (Courtesy: BC Wildfire Service)
Thursday morning saw much of the area placed on evacuation alert — essentially waiting on standby to see if the situation got worse. The alert had been placed on up to 4,800 properties in the area.
“Recreation users are advised to avoid the Alert areas within the West Kelowna and Central Okanagan West Electoral Area until further notice,” reads a bulletin from the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre.
In the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, about 80 people had to be evacuated from Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park on Wednesday after Cathedral Lakes Lodge was cut off by wildfire.
The BC Wildfire Service continues to respond to the McDougall Creek wildfire (K52767), located approximately 10 km northwest of West Kelowna. pic.twitter.com/itvgbUKKH2
— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) August 18, 2023
This all comes as the McDougall Creek Fire continues to grow and refuses to respond to suppression efforts according to the BC Wildfire Service.
The blaze — located just 10 km northwest of West Kelowna — is currently classified as being out of control and is estimated as being approximately 1,100 hectares in size.
With files from Mike Lloyd
