White Rock Lake wildfire (Photo credit: BCWS)

By Pete McIntyre

New estimate

UPDATE: About 70 structures damaged by White Rock Lake fire on Westside Road

Aug 16, 2021 | 11:00 PM

Crews were able to conduct an early assessment of properties in the Ewings Landing and Killiney areas within the Regional District of the Central Okanagan on the west side of Okanagan Lake on Monday afternoon. As a result it is now estimated that approximately 70 properties have been significantly damaged by the White Rock Lake wildfire.

“It is taking us longer than anticipated to confirm properties and owner contact information for the impacted area. Given the gravity of this news for home owners we are being diligent in confirming these identities,” said Brian Reardon, Director, Central Okanagan Emergency Operations. “We sympathise with and understand that residents are anxiously awaiting for updates about the status of their property.

“EOC officials are working tirelessly to provide information to property owners as soon as possible. We anticipate to start our calls tomorrow morning.”

The fire remains active and out of control and there are areas that assessment crews were not able to access for their safety. It is possible once it is safe to conduct further assessments that additional properties could have sustained significant damage.

No further information about damages to properties will be provided at this time. Property owners will be contacted directly.

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Property owners in the Ewings Landing and Killiney area who have not yet registered with ESS, including owners who do not reside at the property, are encouraged to do so through the website: https://ess.gov.bc.ca/. This is one way that officals are able to confirm properties and their owners for contact.

The evacuation Orders and Alerts for the White Rock Lake Fire remain unchanged at this time. Residents will not be able to access their property and the area until it is deemed safe to do so.

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UPDATE: 12:00 p.m.

Multiple structures in the Killiney and Ewings Landing areas of Westside Road sustained significant damage overnight as high winds and warm temperatures increased fire action on the White Rock Lake Fire.

That’s according to Central Okanagan Emergency Operations which issued an update Monday morning, estimating “50 to 60 structures” were impacted.

The BC Wildfire Service confirms the fire’s damage, saying in its Monday update, “there was extensive and significant structural impact along Westside Road last night.”

One of the buildings damaged was the Little Kingdom store, with this picture submitted to Vernon Matters showing the damage.

Little Kingdom store on Westside Road damaged by fire. (Submitted photo)

I literally grew up here, my mom worked here my whole life and it was my first job…our little rez store was a staple…now a couple walls remain 😭 Little Kingdom, its been real#okib #whiterocklakefire pic.twitter.com/KKws1gFFba

— Kelsie Kilawna (Marchand) (@kelsiemarchand) August 16, 2021

The Regional District of Central Okanagan could not confirm damage to any specific properties, pending more information.

Officials said ten people had to be rescued from the Killiney and Ewings Landing areas Sunday night, but there were no fatalities. A firefighter suffered minor injuries.

The Wildfire Service said due to the significant fire activity Sunday, every division is reassessing containment lines for breaches and creating objectives going forward.

“Crews, equipment, and aerial resources will continue to defend remaining guards and containment lines. Structure protection and BCWS crews are working 24/7 around affected communities. The most significant growth was in the northeast, from Naswhito Creek across Six Mile Creek, and on the east flank down into Okanagan Indian Band IR#1 and across Westside Road in the Fintry Park / Ewing area,” said the BCWS.

Overnight crews were re-organized and distributed to work on objectives at OKIB at the Six Mile area and on the southern part of the fire along Okanagan Lake near Fintry Park / Ewing.

The fire is still estimated at 62,273 hectares, but that was hampered by smoke and limited visibility on Sunday.

Early reports indicate limited structural damage at the Mt. Law fire in West Kelowna this morning.

“Due to evolving conditions crews have not been able to complete a full assessment of structure damage. More information will be provided to property owners and the media as it becomes available,” said the emergency agency.

Fire on Westside Road near the old mill site on Sunday. (Submitted photos)

All evacuation alerts and orders remain in effect for the North and Central Okanagan.

The Coquihalla Highway (#5) remains closed between Merritt and Hope.

The detour is on Highways 1 & Highway 3, which is the Hope-Princeton Highway.

REMINDER – CLOSED – #BCHwy5 – Wildfire has the highway closed in both directions between #HopeBC and #MerrittBC. Next update at 10:00 AM. Please see: https://t.co/3l0ayTIibh

— DriveBC (@DriveBC) August 16, 2021

Cooler temperatures are forecast for today and tomorrow, but fires remain out of control and are expected to be active today. Local and BC Wildfire Fire crews will continue suppression efforts on the ground and in the air today. People are asked to stay away from areas close the fires to ensure the access and safety of first responders. Boaters should avoid areas of the lake being used by air support.

Residents in the alert areas are advised to be ready to leave their home at a moment’s notice. They should be prepared to be away from their home for an extended period of time, consider staying with friends or family in another area of the Central Okanagan, make arrangements for pets and pack essential items such as medicines and important documents.

A detailed map is available showing affected properties at cordemergency.ca.

The Emergency Support Services (ESS) reception centre at Mount Boucherie Secondary has closed to streamline operations. Evacuees can pre-register with ESS online at ess.gov.bc.ca. Residents requiring assistance, including lodging, should report to the Emergency Support Services (ESS) reception centre at 1480 Sutherland Ave will be open today 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Emergency response personnel request that the public:

• Avoid the area so emergency responders can effectively perform their duties
• Please only call 9-1-1 in case of emergency.
• Call *5555 on a cell phone to report a wildfire.
• Monitor cordemergency.ca, facebook.com/cordemergency or twitter.com/CO_emerg for official situation updates and preparedness information

For more information about this wildfire, visit cordemergency.ca, sign up for e-updates, or call the information line at 250-469-8490.