UPDATE: New wildfire on Westside Road under control

Aug 24, 2021 | 6:15 PM

UPDATE: 6:15 p.m.

All tactical evacuation orders have been lifted for properties in Sail View Bay and along Bear Creek Road, north of Parkinson Road in West Kelowna.

Municipal and BC Wildfire Service crews will continue efforts to mop up the fire that began burning Tuesday afternoon in an area east of Rose Valley Reservoir.

BCWS estimates the size of the wildfire at three hectares.

For public safety reasons, residents and visitors must remain at a safe distance from the fire and all emergency response activities, which will remain ongoing in the area into Tuesday evening.

Pay

Vernon's mayor and council pay going up as originally planned

9h ago

Official Community Plan

Vernon's new OCP officially adopted

9h ago

Shopping Interruption

Vernon's mall evacuated after fire alarm pulled

10h ago

Westside Road is open to single lane alternating traffic.

UPDATE: 4:30 p.m.

A wildfire that started above Westside Road near Sail View Bay this afternoon was short-lived, but West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund tells us it could have got very scary if not for the efforts of a number of agencies including West Kelowna Fire Rescue and BC Wildfire.

The fire was kept to just 1.5 hectares in size and as of 4:30, crews were in the mop-up stage and preparing to allow evacuated residents to go home.

The chief says the fire was started by a tree that fell on power lines, taking them out and the sparks started the blaze.

(Update by Russ Byth)

UPDATE: 3:30 p.m.

Crews are said to be making progress on a new wildfire on Westside Road, north of West Kelowna, which led to tactical evacuations of several hundred residents on Bear Creek Road.

The three-hectare fire has closed Westside Road between Lindley Drive and traders Cove Road.

UPDATE: 2:00 p.m.

Central Okanagan Emergency reports progress is being made on the new wildfire on Westside Road in the Bear Creek Road area, north of West Kelowna.

West Kelowna, Wilson’s Landing, Kelowna and BC Wildfire crews are making progress on the fire in the vicinity of Bear Creek Road. Please stay out of the area to allow crews to continue fire suppression efforts.

— Central Ok Emergency (@CO_Emerg) August 24, 2021

UPDATE: 1:30 p.m. Homes being evacuated by new wildfire on Westside Road

A new wildfire in the Westside Road area, north of West Kelowna, has led to tactical evacuations in areas near the fire.

All residents on Bear Creek Road, north of Parkinson Road, including the Sail View Bay subdivision, are asked to evacuate the area immediately.

The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre has been activated to support West Kelowna Fire Rescue, along with BC Wildfire Service crews, fighting the fire in the vicinity of Westside Road north of Sail View Bay.

Westside Road has been closed in the new fire area.

A new wildfire on Westside Road north of Sail View Bay, has resulted in tactical evacuations. (Photo credit: Liam Verster/Vernon Matters)

For safety reasons, residents and visitors are reminded to maintain a safe distance from the fire and all fire suppression activities.

Westside Rd. CLOSED in both directions due to a forest fire in #Kelowna. Crews are on scene, assessment in progress. For more information: https://t.co/PC8qiyxy8A

— DriveBC (@DriveBC) August 24, 2021

Motorists are reminded that they should not be stopping along Westside Road to observe or take photos of the wildfire and to allow crews to safely do their work. Motorists are to follow the direction of road crews.

For more information about the wildfire, visit cordemergency.ca, sign up for e-updates, follow the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre on facebook.com/cordemergency or twitter.com/CO_emerg or call the information line at 250-469-8490.

New wildfire in Westside Road area 12:55 p.m. Aug. 24, 2021

A new wildfire has broken out in the Westside Road area, north of West Kelowna.

It’s located south of Bear Creek.

The BC Wildfire Service has listed the new fire on its dashboard website, but has not yet assigned a name to it.

The size is listed at 0.01 of a hectare and the cause is unknown.

by Pete McIntyre

View Comments