Almost 5,000 in West Kelowna under wildfire evacuation alert

Metro Vancouver is getting a break from the heat starting Thursday, but scorching temperatures this week across the province have already worsened the wildfire situation as crews brace for expected winds and dry lightning.

Up to 4,800 properties were put on evacuation alert in the central Okanagan late Wednesday night as the MacDougall Creek fire spreads about 10 kilometres outside of West Kelowna.

“Bear Creek Provincial Park is also under an Evacuation Alert and campers are advised that the area is an active wildfire zone and be ready to leave the area,” reads a bulletin from the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre.

“Recreation users are advised to avoid the Alert areas within the West Kelowna and Central Okanagan West Electoral Area until further notice.”

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In the Okanagan-Similkameen, about 80 people had to be evacuated from Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park yesterday after Cathedral Lakes Lodge was cut off by wildfire, and crews continue to search for a missing person who was hiking in the park when a nearby wildfire flared earlier this week.

The BC Wildfire Service says with temperatures rising above 40 degrees Celsius this week in some parts of the southern Interior and on Vancouver Island, there has been increased fire behaviour in just about every region of the province.

“In addition to that, we are seeing some holdover fires that are being reinvigorated by that heat,” said provincial fire information officer Sarah Budd.

#BCWildfire Service continues to respond to the McDougall Creek wildfire (K52767) 10 km northwest of West Kelowna. Yesterday, the fire displayed significant fire behaviour and is now estimated to be 64 ha in size. It is highly visible from West Kelowna and surrounding areas. pic.twitter.com/OrkTHnRV2u

— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) August 17, 2023

“A holdover fire is one that’s been started by lightning and is smouldering at a low level. When we get additional heat or wind activity, that fire can sort of wake up and cause more of a problem.”

Budd says the cold front that is sweeping down through B.C. from the Alaskan panhandle is already starting to cause issues.

“The wind and that change in temperature are feeding fires and can also cause thunderstorms, which will bring in lightning activity and will likely result in new fire starts, particularly in the southern Interior,” she explained.

The unsettled conditions are predicted to last from late Thursday into the weekend, but Budd says the front won’t bring with it enough precipitation to help decrease fire activity, predicting a tough weekend for B.C.’s wildfire crews and poor conditions in the weeks ahead.

“We are anticipating the rest of August and into September could be really challenging for us.”

–With files from The Canadian Press