Up to 200 buildings estimated destroyed by Okanagan wildfires, fire chiefs say
Wildfire travel restrictions to B.C. Interior to be lifted Wednesday with exception of West Kelowna
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The latest on the wildfires:
- Latest estimates suggest almost 90 structures were destroyed or damaged in West Kelowna and the Westbank First Nation, and almost 100 in the North Westside region to the north.
- Three homes were lost in Kelowna and another three in neighbouring Lake Country.
- The B.C. premier, along with provincial forests and emergencies ministers, met Tuesday with evacuees from the southern Interior, some of whom criticized the province's wildfire fighting strategy.
- Wildfire-related travel orders to the B.C. Interior — except for West Kelowna — will be lifted at midnight Wednesday.
- In the Shuswap region, wildfire fighters say their equipment has been removed or tampered with.
- Learn more about how to find the full list of wildfires, highway closures and evacuation orders and alerts.
The latest estimates from fire chiefs in B.C.'s Central Okanagan region suggest almost 200 buildings have been destroyed in aggressive wildfires that swept through West Kelowna and the surrounding area last week.
Almost 90 structures in the City of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation were fully or partially destroyed by an aggressive wildfire that swept across the region last week, and more than 3,000 were unaffected by the flames.
West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund provided the latest numbers at a news conference Tuesday morning, saying crews believe almost 70 properties in the city and almost 20 in the First Nation were affected, although a full assessment of the damage is still underway.
At the same news conference, North Westside Fire Chief Ross Kotcherofski estimated almost 100 structures have been lost to wildfire in his jurisdiction, which lies north of West Kelowna, but stressed he didn't want to provide more numbers while assessments are still being done.
On the east side of Okanagan Lake, wildfires destroyed three homes and two outbuildings in Kelowna, and another three homes in Lake Country to the north of the city, officials confirmed Tuesday.
Brolund warned residents to prepare themselves to witness the extent of the destruction as wildfire smoke is expected to lift.
"The mountains around our community are going to look different. We haven't seen them since the fire. The difference will be dramatic."
He said firefighters have made good progress on protecting homes from the destructive McDougall Creek wildfire in the past 24 hours, and working to get it contained.
"We're making progress. Things are getting better. We're going to get this thing across the finish line."
He described Monday night as "calm but very busy" for firefighters, who had to deal with about two dozen spot fires and saved one home from burning after a nearby wood pile caught fire.
The fires in the area have been grouped together as the Grouse Complex wildfires.
Brad Litke, B.C. Wildfire Service's incident commander for the complex, said at Tuesday's news conference that lighter winds are expected through the day, but thunderstorms are possible, which could complicate firefighting efforts.
He said wildfire smoke is still making it difficult to determine the exact size of the McDougall Creek fire, but the current estimate is 120 square kilometres.
Travel restrictions to end
Officials said Monday there are about 27,000 people in the province under evacuation order due to ongoing wildfires, with another 35,000 people under alert to evacuate on short notice.
On Tuesday, B.C. Premier David Eby visited the Shuswap and Okanagan regions of B.C. to meet residents affected by the fires.
The premier surveyed the damage along with Forests Minister Bruce Ralston and Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma.
At a news conference in West Kelowna, Ma announced that most wildfire-related travel restrictions in the B.C. Interior will end at midnight Wednesday, with the exception of West Kelowna.
The order, issued on Aug. 19, had prevented tourists from using hotels, motels, RV parks and other temporary accommodations in Kelowna and West Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon, so they could be utilized by the province.
The minister said the order has had its desired effect, with space being made available for first responders, evacuees, and support staff.
"We have heard from communities like West Kelowna, in particular, Lake Country, and the Shuswap that now is not the time to visit them," Ma said, adding that travellers should still check emergency orders before making plans.
Some smoke warnings lift
Firefighters made good progress on many fires on Monday amid favourable weather conditions, while a tropical storm that ripped through Mexico and the southwest United States Tuesday was predicted to bring rain to the province, but also winds.
"We're hopeful it will bring some measurable precipitation to areas that really need it," said Sarah Budd, a wildfire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS), on Monday.
"The sort of flipside of that is that it could increase some of the winds and change wind directions through parts of the Okanagan.
"As we always say, we don't have a crystal ball, and that weather pattern is a little uncertain where the winds will be going."
Smoky skies continued to blanket much of B.C. because of the wildfires although it was forecast to lift in some areas Tuesday.
In Metro Vancouver, an air quality advisory that had covered most of the area since Saturday was lifted. The regional district said in a statement that a change in weather had reduced the amount of fine particulate matter in the air, but officials have warned that smoke-related air quality problems could return at any time.
Highways closed
Wildfires are also affecting several travel corridors: 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 from Lytton First Nation
On Tuesday evening, the Lytton First Nation issued expanded evacuation orders for eight First Nation reserves due to the Stein Mountain wildfire.
Numerous areas around Lytton — which itself is on evacuation alert — are on emergency orders from the Fraser Valley Regional District, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, Lytton First Nation, Skuppah Indian Band and Kanaka Bar Indian Band.
That is due to both the Stein Mountain wildfire burning northwest of the community, and the Kookipi Creek wildfire burning south of the village in the Fraser Canyon.
READ MORE:
- The BCWS is trying to dispel rumours that its activities in the Shuswap region caused two aggressive fires to merge last week.
- Volunteers are venturing into evacuation areas to rescue pets and reunite them with their owners.
- A man who lost his dream home to fire in the Shuswap region is sharing his story.
- A Kelowna tourism operator says he fears for the future of his business after fleeing two wildfires in eight years.
- All standard homeowner and tenant insurance policies cover damage caused by fires, according to insurers.
- Here's how you can protect yourself from the impacts of wildfire smoke.
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 cbcnewsvancouver@cbc.ca.
With files from Bethany Lindsay, Randi-Marie Adams, Chad Pawson and The Canadian Press