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Wildfire prompts hurried evacuations in West Kelowna, B.C.
Posted June 16, 2026 1:49 pm.
Last Updated June 16, 2026 4:48 pm.
Residents of two West Kelowna, B.C., neighbourhoods are being rushed out of their homes ahead of a fast-moving wildfire burning near Okanagan Lake.
The emergency management centre for the Central Okanagan says tactical evacuations were underway for homes along 10 streets in the Casa Loma and Lakeview Heights areas in response to the fire discovered today.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!The eight-hectare fire is burning out of control in Kalamoir Regional Park, with the BC Wildfire Service website saying the suspected cause was human activity.
The areas under evacuation are located just south of the floating WR Bennett Bridge that leads into Kelowna.
“At this point in time, crews are making good progress. Evacuation of the neighbourhoods has been very orderly,” said West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund.
The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations (COEO) say that an evacuation order remains in place for 357 households.
Jason Luciw, public information officer with the COEO, says that a muster station has been opened at the Westbank Lions Hall in the city to receive evacuees.
“A state of local emergency has been declared for the Kalamoir Park wildfire,” he told 1130 NewsRadio.
The blaze was discovered shortly after provincial officials provided an update on B.C.’s wildfire outlook, saying spring showers and a slow start to the season were “masking” underlying drought and the likelihood of increased fire activity.
Neal McLoughlin, superintendent for predictive services, told the news conference that current drought patterns are worse compared with those recorded at the same time of year in the historic fire seasons of 2017, 2018 and 2021.
Parmar says crews are monitoring wildfire danger across province
During a press conference on Tuesday, B.C.’s Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar, warns that the drought situation in the province means a bigger risk of wildfires this summer.
He adds that BC Wildfire Service is monitoring the situation to prevent further blazes.
“Aviation teams and support staff have been working tremendously hard against the ongoing threat of wildfire, working day and night to manage fires as they appear,” he said.
Parmar says that the province has been hiring more crews and providing additional training to be prepared for the ongoing season.
Currently, BC Wildfire Service records 14 wildfires, with three being out of control.
– With files from Ben Bouguerra.
