Brad Litke of BC Wildfire Service (Image credit: YouTube)

By Pete McIntyre

Update

Two of Central Okanagan wildfires now ‘being held’

Aug 24, 2023 | 10:40 AM

Good news from the B.C. Wildfire Service at today’s update (Aug. 24) on the fires in the Central Okanagan.

Incident commander Brad Litke said the Walroy Lake and Clarke Creek fires in Kelowna and Lake Country respectively, are now both classified as “being held.”

That’s a change from the former “out of control.”

Being held is defined as a wildfire that is not likely to spread beyond predetermined boundaries under current conditions.

Litke said the McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna is still out of control and at 12,318 hectares.

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He said weather-permitting, there will be planned ignitions northwest of the Shannon Lake Golf Course today (Aug. 24) to address pockets of unburned fuels on steep slopes that could challenge containment in the future.

There could also be a planned ignition above the Smith Creek drainage today if conditions allow it.

The Walroy Lake fire in Kelowna is estimated at 794 hectares

The Clarke Creek fire in Lake Country is at 370 hectares and showed no growth on Wednesday, according to the BCWS.

Kelowna fire chief Travis Whiting said with the news that their wildfire is being held, he said it’s their goal to have everyone on evacuation order in Kelowna, back home by the end of today.

“We’re hoping to have evacuation orders reduced within all areas of the City of Kelowna specifically, and I want to be clear, that’s just within the City of Kelowna.”

Whiting said impacted residents can find out their status on cordemergency.ca where they will announce the areas, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, that are safe to return to.