Evacuation warnings end for residents of Kelowna, BC, as wildfire is under control
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KELOWNA, BC – Evacuation alerts and a local state of emergency triggered by a wildfire on Knox Mountain in Kelowna, BC have ended.
A statement from the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Center says the fire is now under control on 6.5 acres and emergency services are still on the scene managing several hot spots.
Residents of the Poplar Point, Knox Mountain, Magic Estates and Clifton areas near the blaze were issued an evacuation order on Canada Day that was later downgraded to a warning as crews battled the flames
Kelowna RCMP assisted in an evacuation of over 400 properties.
The center says most of Knox Mountain Park will remain closed to prioritize public safety as hazards such as sinkholes caused by burning tree roots remain in areas where there are no longer active fires.
It says city personnel will be at the park on Tuesday to identify and mitigate hazards and assess damage to infrastructure.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 3, 2023.