West Kelowna travel restrictions lifting Friday

Travel restrictions on West Kelowna are being lifted at midnight after nearly a week of the city being closed off to non-essential travellers.

These are the last of B.C.’s recent restrictions involving non-essential travel, most of which were lifted on Tuesday.

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• More Kelowna evacuation orders lifted as some residents lose everything

Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma made the announcement on Thursday evening, and says the province is grateful to those who changed their plans to help keep the area clear for crews to combat the McDougall Creek fire and make room for evacuees.

“Over the past week, B.C. has experienced severe wildfires with devastating impacts for people and communities. My heart is with everyone who has been affected by the fires, including those who are at risk of losing their home and those who have already received confirmation that their home has been lost,” she said in a statement.

“Because of the support of people and accommodation providers, we were able to support local governments and First Nations in securing enough hotel rooms to meet the high demand of evacuees who needed a place to stay. We’ve also been able to book additional hotel rooms in case they are needed.”

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While Ma says West Kelowna is looking forward to welcoming tourists and locals back into the community, she stresses the importance of avoiding communities affected by wildfires.

“Many communities continue to be impacted by wildfires and face challenges. Listen to the direction of local communities and respect emergency orders and alerts,” she said.

“We want to thank everyone for supporting the efforts of wildfire and structural firefighters in communities. As we begin to move into recovery, we will continue to work closely with the federal government and communities to determine how we can best support people and communities to recover and rebuild.”

The small scale hand ignition was successfully completed on the southwest flank of the fire this afternoon. BCWS and structure protection personnel are on site mopping up this afternoon and into the night. https://t.co/i5a1U8YwCL pic.twitter.com/optY4RLnB2

— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) August 25, 2023

The McDougall Creek fire remains classified as out of control by the BC Wildfire Service, and is estimated to burning at 12,318 hectares in size. West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund said Tuesday that nearly 200 structures between West Kelowna, the Westbank First Nation, and other parts of the regional district had been lost to the blaze.