Kelowna’s Knox Mountain wildfire in ‘mop up’ stage

A wildfire that erupted at Kelowna’s Knox Mountain Park on Saturday afternoon as thousands celebrated Canada Day has been classified as held, and fire crews continue to tackle hot spots from the ground on Sunday.

BC Wildfire Service crews worked until midnight on Saturday, implementing a fuel guard and wet line, to stop the fire from growing further. The fire is estimated to have grown to roughly 6.5 hectares and did not grow overnight.

0:14 Wildfire along Knox Mountain Park in Kelowna

“We initially responded with 12 wildfire personnel, assisting 25 of the fire department personnel that were already on site, and then later that evening we added an additional 19 personnel from BC Wildfire Service,” said BCWFC Fire Information Officer, Aydan Coray.

“This morning we’re working with the fire department to determine just how many personnel we’ll need today and what that’ll look like.”

The fire is believed to be human caused. Investigators remain on scene today to try and determine the exact cause. Evacuation orders were downgraded to evacuation alerts on Saturday night for those living in the Knox Mountain, Magic Estates, Poplar Point, and the Clifton area.

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Fortunately, no structures were lost in the blaze, and Aydan Coray adds that the public played a big role in that.

“The fire was reported to us by members of the public, and many of those utilizing the BC Wildfire Service mobile app to submit photos with their report,” said Coray. “Photos like this are extremely helpful to our operations team to make those decisions that much quicker.”

Those living in the areas still under an evacuation alert are still being advised to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, according to Central Okanagan Emergency Operations.

At this time, Knox Mountain, including the paths to Paul’s Tomb remains closed to the public. Those caught in the area could face a fine of up to $500, as it is still considered an active fire zone.