At least 50 West Kelowna structures lost to wildfire, but worst hit areas yet to be surveyed
Premier David Eby and cabinet ministers to visit areas affected by fire on Tuesday
UPDATE: All eyes on weather as B.C. premier set to visit wildfire-affected areas
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THE LATEST:
- More than 50 structures are confirmed fully or partially destroyed by the McDougall Creek fire in West Kelowna.
- More help is on the way, as hundreds of firefighters from Mexico and South Africa are set to arrive.
- Smoke is blanketing much of the province, prompting air quality advisories and special weather statements.
- A provincewide state of emergency is in place in B.C. Here's what it means.
- Non-essential travel to the southern Interior has been restricted as 27,000 people are under evacuation orders, around a third of them in the Kelowna area.
- Homes have been destroyed and more than 4,000 properties are on evacuation order in the Shuswap region, as two major fires combined near Adams Lake.
- The B.C. Wildfire Service says critical equipment has been taken from the area.
- In Northern B.C., a new evacuation order and alert was issued for the Takla First Nation, northwest of Prince George.
- Highway 1 remains closed and evacuation orders are still in place in the Fraser Canyon as a result of the Kookipi Creek wildfire.
- Many people want to help evacuees. Learn more about how to offer your support.
- Find a full list of wildfires, highway closures and evacuation orders and alerts.
- Tune in for ongoing coverage of the wildfire situation on CBC Radio One at 88.9 FM in Kelowna, 96.9 FM in Salmon Arm, or by using the CBC Listen app.
More than 50 structures have been fully or partially destroyed by an aggressive wildfire in West Kelowna, B.C., according to the Okanagan city's fire chief.
Jason Brolund told a news conference Monday morning that crews are trying to systematically survey the areas hit by the McDougall Creek fire to determine the extent of the damage.
"We're not done yet and the most damaged neighbourhoods are still to come," he said.
Brolund said the job of tallying the damage has been challenging because some address markers were destroyed by the fire and street signs have melted, while downed power lines, ruined roads and fallen trees have made it unsafe to enter some areas.
In one neighbourhood, he said, it looked like a hurricane had blown through.
"Trees were ripped out by their roots. The force to make that happen is incredible," Brolund said.
But he reassured residents that a number of neighbourhoods in the city have been relatively untouched by the fire, with no structures lost.
Brolund added that as conditions have quietened in the last 24 hours, no other structures have been destroyed.
"What's happening out there is the day-to-day grind of firefighting," he said, applauding the work of firefighters from across the province who've come together to protect West Kelowna.
Video of homes burning
Some residents of West Kelowna are learning their homes are gone through unofficial channels.
Chris Erickson left his West Kelowna home Thursday as wildfire approached and the next day, he saw a photo of his home in a local newspaper.
"You see just huge flames up in the trees, and at the bottom of the photo, you could see the roof of our house," he said.
Later, a neighbour sent him footage from a doorbell camera that confirmed the damage.
"It's quite the experience witnessing your house engulfed in flames before it collapses in on itself," he said from a hotel room in Merritt, B.C. "Watching that is hard."
WATCH | West Kelowna resident sees house aflame from neighbour's doorbell camera:
Seagun Laboucane had a similar experience while scrolling through social media.
"I was sitting having dinner when I first saw ... a picture of what I thought was my house on fire," she said, adding that later footage would confirm the loss.
"It didn't feel real."
Firefighters working back-to-back shifts
According to Brolund, some West Kelowna firefighters are working back-to-back shifts, taking the usual calls from the fire hall at night before heading out to fight the wildfire in the morning.
He said one firefighter was scheduled to become a Canadian citizen on Monday, and will now have to participate in the ceremony by Zoom from behind the fire lines.
"What an important thing and what a massive sacrifice to make," Brolund said.
The out-of-control McDougall Creek fire was last measured at 110 square kilometres in size, but the B.C. Wildfire Service says smoky conditions have made it difficult to get an up-to-date estimate for the fire.
A total of 9,855 properties remain on evacuation order in the area of the fire, Regional District of Central Okanagan board chair Loyal Woolridge said Monday.
Five structures were destroyed by the fire in Kelowna, while at least two or three were lost in Lake Country, a municipality north of Kelowna, the public heard Monday.
North Westside Fire Chief Ross Kotcherofski said he was not able to provide an estimate for the destruction in his jurisdiction, north of West Kelowna, but most of the structural damage has been in the Traders Cove and Lake Okanagan Resort areas. The resort was destroyed on Friday.
Wilson's Landing Fire Chief Paul Zydowicz said 14 of his firefighters have lost homes to the McDougall Creek wildfire, but have remained on the front lines to help their neighbours.
Smoky skies helping wildfire fight
As the southern quarter of British Columbia is warned about the risk of particulates in the air from wildfire smoke, those battling blazes in the Central Okanagan say the smoke is helping their cause.
A special air quality statement and smoky skies bulletin is in place from Vancouver Island east to the Alberta border, as well as in the central Interior, due to smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning across the province.
An additional air quality advisory remains in place for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, warning of high concentrations of fine particulate matter in the air.
While the amount of smoke in the air has created harmful conditions for people's health, it's also reducing the sun's intensity, which is helping the fight against wildfires across the province.
"It is effectively another good day to fight fire, apart from the smoke in the air," Jerrad Schroeder of the B.C. Wildfire Service said Monday morning.
In a long string of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, the B.C. Wildfire Service noted Sunday that rain is in the forecast for late Monday night, which should allow firefighters to gain some ground.
However, the wildfire service also warned that tropical storm Hilary, which is causing flooding in southern California, will bring strong winds all the way up to B.C., with the potential for more extreme fire behaviour.
So far there is no official count of how many homes have been destroyed across B.C. since fire activity dramatically accelerated last week, but officials have acknowledged the damage is "significant."
An unknown number of homes have also been destroyed in the Shuswap region east of Kamloops, where the Bush Creek East fire is now burning over 410 square kilometres around Adams Lake and Shuswap Lake.
There are more than 380 active wildfires burning across B.C. as of Monday morning, fuelled by wind, drought and hot weather that have left landscapes tinder dry.
Of those fires, 159 are deemed out of control while 14 are categorized as fires of note, meaning they are particularly visible or threatening to property.
B.C. Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma said there are now about 27,000 people in the province under an evacuation order and another 35,000 on evacuation alert.
"We hope that the darkest days are behind us, but the situation is still evolving and the dangers we face are still extreme," she said in an update on Monday.
Premier David Eby announced Monday that he, Ma and Forests Minister Bruce Ralston all plan to travel to fire-affected areas on Tuesday to show that "we will be there when the crisis passes to rebuild," and to gather information about what is needed.
Across B.C., more than 3,500 people are fighting wildland fires, and hundreds of municipal firefighters are helping to protect homes and other buildings, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
Another 100 Mexican firefighters and 200 from South Africa are expected to arrive this week.
Travel restrictions, advisories
The province is under a state of emergency, and travel to B.C.'s southern Interior has been restricted, preventing tourists from using hotels, motels, RV parks and other temporary accommodations in Kelowna and West Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon, so they can be utilized for evacuees.
Wildfires are also affecting several travel corridors through B.C. Highway 1 is closed in at least two spots: between Lytton and Hope in the Fraser Canyon, and between Chase and Sorrento in the Shuswap.
Other travel advisories:
- Highway 97, in both directions, just south of Coldstream to Peachland.
- Highway 97, in both directions, six kilometres north of Vernon to three kilometres south of Osoyoos.
- Highway 5A, in both directions, between Old Kamloops Road and Roche Lake Road for 13 kilometres south of Kamloops.
DriveBC has a full listing of all road closures and travel advisories.
New evacuation orders for northern B.C.
On Monday evening, the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako and the Takla First Nation issued a new evacuation order for the Germansen Landing and the 12 Mile area due to the Big Creek wildfire.
The district also issued an evacuation alert for the Manson Creek community because of the same wildfire.
READ MORE ON WILDFIRES:
- Reality is starting to set in for residents of West Kelowna who've lost their homes to wildfire.
- Firefighting gear helping protect structures from a huge wildfire in British Columbia's Shuswap region has been repeatedly moved and removed over the last two days.
- Anyone forced to flee wildfires should make a list of damaged or destroyed items and keep receipts for expenses they've incurred, the Insurance Bureau of Canada says.
- Several tourists say they've been saddled with travel planning woes due to the wildfires burning across British Columbia.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blasted social media giant Meta on Monday over its decision to block local news as wildfires continue to force thousands of Canadians from their homes.
- As wildfire smoke blankets B.C., here are some common questions about the health risks and reminders on how you can help protect yourself when air quality plummets.
- Donating money is the best way to help those affected by the fires, charity experts say.
- Get the news you need without restrictions. Download our free CBC News App.
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.
Do you have a story to share?
If you've been affected by the B.C. wildfires and want to share your story, email [email protected].
Corrections
- A previous version of this story said firefighters with North Westside Fire Rescue have lost their homes. In fact, 14 members of the Wilson's Landing Fire Department have lost their homes.Aug 25, 2023 8:47 AM PT
With files from Bethany Lindsay, The Canadian Press, Chad Pawson and Justine Boulin