Eight Homes Lost In Wildire

Eight homes on Nighthawk Road, as well as outbuildings on one property on Tyndall Road were lost overnight from the Okanagan Centre wildfire in Lake Country.

Impacted property owners attended a meeting earlier today to receive information and support for moving forward.

“The good news is that we’ve been able to save much of the community, and that no one was injured and no lives were lost,” Chief Steve Windsor told a news conference at the Okanagan Centre Fire Hall Sunday.

“I can tell you we all did everything we could to protect the homes, ” said Windsor who noted crews from Kelowna West Kelowna, Peachland, Joe Rich, Ellison, North Westside, Armstrong, and BX Swan Lake supported the effort.

Media were taken on a tour of the Nighthawk Road area after the news conference.

Photo: One of eight homes on Nighthawk Road destroyed by Okanagan Centre wildfire on Saturday.

Fire crews from across the Okanagan continue to work today on the 55-hectare Okanagan Centre wildfire. The fire is 50 per cent contained by hand guard and surrounded 80 per cent by retardant.

Lake Country fire crews are receiving help today from neighbouring fire departments in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland, Ellison and Joe Rich.  BC Wildfire Service firefighters, BC Ambulance and the RCMP are also contributing.

The fire was human caused as no lightning was recorded in the area. BC Wildfire Services and the RCMP have an investigation underway.

“There has been lots of speculation, lots of rumour, that it was potentially campfires or that type of thing. We don’t know that. The RCMP and Forest Service will ascertain what actually started the fire,” Windsor told media at the fire site.

The Evacuation Order and Alert for the fire remain in place at this time. The Evacuation Order for 331 properties within the Okanagan Centre area includes homes along a section of Okanagan Centre Road West, Nighthawk and Tyndall Roads.  A detailed map showing the properties within the Evacuation Order area is available at www.cordemergency.ca/map.

Photos from media tour on Nighthawk Road where eight homes were lost from the Okanagan Centre fire.

Evacuated residents are requested to register at the Emergency Support Services reception centre if they haven’t done so already.  It’s open at the Salvation Army Church in Kelowna at 1480 Sutherland Avenue to provide assistance and group lodging.

Residents of 657 properties are on Evacuation Alert and must be prepared to leave on short notice should conditions change requiring them to leave their homes. A map showing properties within the Evacuation Alert area can be viewed at www.cordemergency.ca/map.