Evacuation orders across the Central Okanagan are starting to be lifted as the threat from wildfires diminishes though, not all neighbourhoods are in the same position.
At least 50 structures in West Kelowna, five in Kelowna and three in Lake Country have been destroyed by wildfire, and the neighbourhoods where they once stood are rife with risks that, at the moment, make them unsafe to re-enter, officials said Monday.
A list of where orders are turning to alerts can be found at the bottom of the article.
“I wanted to reassure you that we are working to get everyone home as soon as possible and when it’s safe to do so,” said Kari O’Rourke, public information officer for Central Okanagan Emergency Support Services.
“There are many steps that need to be taken in order for that to happen. We know everyone who is on evacuation order is looking for information about the status of their properties and the plans for the evacuation orders.”
Helping to meet that aim is the Canada Task Force 1 team, which is sent to areas to stabilize and operate in natural or man-made disasters through full-scale team deployment or through small team deployments in support of local resources.
O’Rourke said that team is going through the affected neighborhoods in a very systematic way, mapping structural losses and their Emergency Operations Centre staff will be conducting hazard assessments to better understand what needs to be done to ensure the safety in the area.
“Some of these hazards include downed power lines, unstable structures, dangerous trees, equipment and debris in the area and hazardous materials,” O’Rourke said.
“The mapping and assessments are actively underway and nearing completion in some areas.”
She said it’s a critical step in the process of returning people to their communities safely.
“We will systematically start to release information as soon as we can,” she said. “Our priority is to confirm how we can get this information to our communities as quickly and as accurately as possible. We know this is a very challenging time for everyone in our community.”
And, challenging though it may be to be kept away from one’s home, RCMP officers have said that there are some concerns that people are disobeying orders to stay back.
“Many people have tried to come in through forested areas or access to areas to come back home to pick up those and we just want to remind the public that that is not a safe thing to do,” Supt. Kara Triance said.
“We’ve heard from our fire chiefs today there are active flames in these areas. I had an opportunity to go into two specific areas yesterday for an assessment of one area, and we have hydro lines that are down that are hanging in areas across roads. We have a Fortis gas employee who came running down road to me and said this house is dumping gas.”
She stressed that orders are in place for safety and security.
Orders were downgraded to alerts on 41 streets Westbank First Nation IR No. 10, South of North Lindley and Bear Creek Road. The full list can be found here.
Remaining on evacuation order are Sookinchute Court, Lindley Drive and 1525, 1555, 1595 Bear Creek Road.
In West Kelowna, properties in Smith Creek are being downgraded to an alert from an order. Those included properties on Elliott Road, Horizon Drive, Smith Creek Road and Harold Road.
In Lake Country, all properties east of Glenmore Road to Highway 97, from the southern Lake Country border, north to Glenmore Road are no longer on evacuation order, though an alert is staying in place.
Also in Lake Country, orders have been reduced to alerts, on Bond Road, Cemetery Road, Davidson Road, and Nygren Road.
To see the full list, go to cordemergency.ca/map