B.C. restricts travel in southern Interior as wildfires force 30,000 out of homes
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The latest on the wildfires:
B.C.’s fight against wildfires continues Saturday, after blazes flared up on Friday night and destroyed properties in the Central Okanagan region.
The province is under a state of emergency due to hundreds of wildfires, with the emergency management ministry saying 30,000 people have been told to leave their homes, and a further 36,000 have been told to get ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
At a Saturday news conference, B.C. Premier David Eby initially stated that 35,000 people were on evacuation order, but a spokesperson for B.C.’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness says the situation is currently very dynamic.
In the news conference, Eby said he was issuing an order that restricts travel to B.C.’s southern Interior for the purpose of staying in temporary accommodation such as a hotel, motel or campground.
Canada’s summer of fire
The order applies to temporary accommodation in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Pentiction and Vernon and is in effect until the end of day on Sept. 4.
“We shouldn’t need an order,” Eby said. “Please just stay out of these areas if you don’t have to be there.”
Eby also says Solicitor General Mike Farnworth has authorized emergency provisions to allow municipal RCMP resources to be deployed to evacuated areas and secure empty properties.
BC’s declared a provincial state of emergency in response to extreme, fast-moving wildfire activity. Please don’t travel to the central Interior and southeastern BC for non-essential reasons. If you must travel, be alert to rapidly changing situations <a href=”https://twitter.com/EmergencyInfoBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@EmergencyInfoBC</a> & <a href=”https://twitter.com/DriveBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@DriveBC</a> <a href=”https://t.co/TaTC0z2mYe”>pic.twitter.com/TaTC0z2mYe</a>
—@BCGovNews
‘Army’ of firefighters in Kelowna
The McDougall Creek wildfire burning in West Kelowna grew more than a hundredfold — from 64 hectares to 6,800 hectares (68 square kilometres) — in just 24 hours. As of late Friday evening, it covered an area of 105 square kilometres, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
In a news conference Saturday afternoon, officials said a return to seasonal temperatures was aiding firefighters in the city, but they weren’t out of the woods yet. An earlier update from BCWS had said crews had made good progress overnight.
West Kelowna fire Chief Jason Brolund says wildfires will have a lasting impact on community members, but they’re working together to create positive change.
“We are still in some critically dry conditions, and are still expecting difficult days ahead,” said Jerrad Schroeder, deputy fire centre manager in the Kamloops Fire Centre.
Jason Brolund, the chief of West Kelowna Fire and Rescue, praised an “army” of firefighting personnel, including those from municipal fire departments across the province, who worked overnight to help save hundreds of properties — including a $75-million water treatment plant.
“It’s become evident that this event will leave a long-lasting scar on our community,” Brolund told the news conference. “But I have already seen how our community is coming together, and I’m looking forward to the continued progress.”
More than 2,400 properties are under an evacuation order, and more than 4,800 properties are under an evacuation alert due to the blaze.
While properties were confirmed destroyed in the blaze, the exact number will not be known until officials can assess the situation.
Kelowna has a population of approximately 150,000 residents, while West Kelowna has about 36,000.
The airspace above the southern Interior city remains closed due to the blaze.
More than 1,000 properties have been ordered evacuated as wildfires rapidly spread toward West Kelowna, B.C.
Meanwhile, structural losses have been confirmed in the City of Kelowna by fire chief Travis Whiting, who said he can’t confirm numbers until after homeowners have been informed.
RCMP Supt. Kara Triance told the news conference that police were receiving reports of personal drones flying in wildfire zones, which is illegal under federal regulations.
“They are affecting our firefighting efforts,” Triance said. “If a drone is in the area, you will ground a helicopter. We need that airspace.”
Under the province’s state of emergency, B.C. officials can issue emergency orders, including travel restrictions and the ability to free up accommodations for evacuees, emergency personnel and health-care workers.
Homes destroyed in Shuswap region
In the Shuswap region, the Lower East Adams Lake fire and Bush Creek East fire merged, and the combined fire moved 20 kilometres over the span of a day — something Cliff Chapman, the director of the B.C. Wildfire Service, noted was “a significant fire run for this province.”
The blaze destroyed properties, many of which are recreational and vacation homes, in the community of Celista on the shore of Shuswap Lake, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
BCWS could not confirm the number of homes or buildings burned down overnight and said it was still assessing the damage in Celista.
DriveBC said Highway 1 has been closed between Chase and Sorrento in both directions because of the fire.
Large fires burning near Lytton, Invermere
Further west, a fire in the Lytton area has forced the evacuations of numerous properties, along with the closure of a stretch of Highway 1.
The Kookipi Creek wildfire south of the town covers an area of 105 square kilometres as of Saturday afternoon, and has led to numerous evacuation orders and alerts from First Nations and regional districts. According to DriveBC, Highway 1 between Hope and Lytton is closed in both directions due to the blaze.
- CBC News is providing ongoing coverage of the wildfire situation in B.C. You can tune in on CBC Radio One, 88.9 FM in Kelowna, by using the CBC Listen app or streaming online.
The Village of Lytton, which was decimated by a wildfire in 2021, is also under evacuation alert.
In southeast B.C., officials are urging calm as numerous fires burn around the community of Invermere, B.C., with evacuation alerts in place for the Panorama Mountain resort.
All evacuees are asked to register through a provincial portal. A public information line is also available at 250-469-8490 or 1-877-569-8490.
READ MORE ON WILDFIRES:
Anyone placed under an evacuation order should leave the area immediately.
Evacuation centres have been set up throughout the province to assist anyone evacuating from a community under threat from a wildfire.
To find the centre closest to you, visit the EmergencyInfoBC website.
Evacuees are encouraged to register with Emergency Support Services online, whether or not they access services at an evacuation centre.
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If you’ve been affected by the B.C. wildfires and want to share your story, email cbcnewsvancouver@cbc.ca.
