More residents in West Kelowna can finally return home.
Central Okanagan Emergency Operations announced Sunday that evacuation orders for residents in the upper Shannon Woods and Tallus Ridge areas, as well as all remaining properties on Bartley Road and Rose Wood Drive have been downgraded to an evacuation order.
Those properties include:
- Big Sky Drive
- Crown Crest Drive
- Crown Crest Place
- Paramount Drive
- Ryser Place
- Shannon Heights Court
- Shannon Heights Place
- Shannon Mills Drive
- Shannon Mills Place
- Tallus Green Crescent
- Tallus Green Place
- Tallus Heights Drive
- Tallus Heights Lane
- Bartley Road
- Rosewood Drive
Residents now on evacuation alert are being reminded to still be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. Those returning home are also being asked to avoid naturalized areas, as there are still locations where active firefighting is ongoing and dangers like downed power lines, hazardous materials, damaged trees, debris and equipment pose a risk to the public.
The McDougall Creek wildfire is estimated to be over 12,000 hectares in size. Crews continue to build a containment line around the west side of the fire using heavy equipment.
Mop-up efforts are also ongoing along the east flank primarily on Westside Road. BC Wildfire Service says more planned ignitions will be underway over the next several days.
“Moving forward over the coming days, planned ignitions are going to be a big part of what we’re doing, so smoke will be visible, but that will be to bring the fire down to our containment lines,” said BC Wildfire Service deputy operations officer, Ben Sandy.
“Using the small hand ignitions, in steep and operable ground, allows crews to work in a safer area, as well as getting people back into their homes sooner.”