KELOWNA, B.C. — Officials say the number of properties around Lake Okanagan destroyed or suffering significant wildfire damage has increased to 189, up from 181, as the region in B.C.'s southern Interior moves from response to recovery.
West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund has told a briefing that the destructive McDougall Creek fire is still burning out of control, but the battle against the blaze is now in the hills above the community,"not in the streets and neighbourhoods."
Sally Ginter, chief administrative officer for the district, says operations are"transitioning" to recovery. The BC Wildfire Service says more than 250 firefighters and field staff continue to battle the Grouse complex of fires around Lake Okanagan, with more than two-thirds devoted to the 126-square-kilometre McDougall Creek fire that swept down on West Kelowna on Aug. 17.
Communities currently under a heat warning include Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge and Terrace. Wildfire smoke has also led to large swaths of British Columbia being placed under air quality advisories, which cover Metro Vancouver, much of Vancouver Island and communities such as Whistler, Kamloops, Kelowna, Golden, Fernie, Quesnel, Prince George and Smithers.
Derek Sutherland, director of the emergency operations centre for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, says staff would start reaching out to residents on Monday.
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