Todd Talbot’s Okanagan Lake cabin among those destroyed in fire

A B.C. Realtor and television star is among those whose property has been destroyed by the McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna.

“Love It or List It Vancouver” co-host Todd Talbot posted a short video on his Instagram page Friday afternoon, showing flames engulfing numerous structures right up to the shore of Okanagan Lake.

“My heart breaks,” he wrote in the caption.

“I have no words. It’s over before it really began.”

Among the burning buildings, according to Talbot, was “the Eh Frame,” the A-framed cabin he and his wife designed and constructed on the lake in 2020.

The cabin lent its name – a play on the classic Canadian interjection – to the Talbots’ lifestyle brand.

In an Instagram story recorded from the safety of a hotel balcony in Vernon, B.C., Talbot shared thoughts many of his neighbours would echo.

“It’s hard to stop your brain from thinking ahead and thinking about what the landscape is going to look like and what happens next,” he said, adding that his thoughts were with all of the people affected by the blaze.

As of Friday afternoon, officials had not provided an estimate of just how many homes have been destroyed in wildfires on the shores of Okanagan Lake over the last 24 hours, but judging from the video Talbot shared, the losses are substantial.

Among them, the historic Lake Okanagan Resort, which has stood on the waterfront since the late 1970s and served as both a 217-room hotel and a permanent residence with 48 condominium units.

Fire officials said in an update Friday that more unpredictable fire activity is expected this weekend, as high winds and tinder dry conditions remain in place. 

“I fear that the worst is not over for this region,” Talbot’s Instagram post concluded.

“Stay strong and much safety to all those out on the front lines fighting!”