British Columbia's Devastating Summer of Wildfires

Residents watch approaching flames from West Kelowna fire before evacuating CBC News

"I just want to congratulate all our firefighters. You know, for thousands of years, just regular people step up to to be warriors to protect their villages, protect their neighbours — there's people out there working 36-, 48-hour shifts, and they take an absolute beating."

"They know their family's being evacuated while they're trying to defend their neighbour's home and they just keep going."

Lake Country Fire Chief Darren Lee

 

"[The fire grew about 20 kilometres in 12 hours, which is among the fastest growth B.C. has seen for a wildfire. The damage] is quite significant."

"Celista actually was hit worse than Scotch Creek, and the fire essentially ran unsuppressed and unmitigated right through that community."

"[Gear belonging to crews was stolen or moved while responding to the fire. Anyone with firefighting equipment should return it]."

"We are doing everything we can on our side, to use our expert knowledge of where those resources would be most effective. If those are tampered with or removed or stolen, it is really limiting our operations right now in the North Shuswap area."

B.C. Wildfire Service fire information officer Forrest Tower

Officials in British Columbia said 30,000 people have been told to leave their homes, and 36,000 people have been told to get ready to leave at a moment's notice. B.C.  CBC News

 A devastating overnight battle took place in West Kelowna, British Columbia with a wildfire that destroyed a significant number of properties. Jason Brolund, chief of the West Kelowna fire department stated that the fire was "exponentially worse" than had been expected. First responders became trapped while executing a rescue of people who had failed to heed the evacuation warnings as the McDougall Creek wildfire rapidly advanced toward the community; a firefighter's "worst nightmare".

Thousands of properties were declared under evacuation orders; the City of West Kelowna and the Westbank First Nation both declared local states of emergency. Evacuation orders were expanded by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen in a rural area northeast of Keremeos covering over 200 properties and lots.

Evacuees were asked to register by the Central Okanagan Emergency Operation Centre, through the provincial portal. Evacuees were encouraged to stay with family and friends, since most receiving shelters have been filled to capacity. Residents were asked to use an interactive map on the portal to determine for themselves whether their homes were under evacuation order or alert.

 

Paramedics evacuate patients out of the Brandt's Creek Retirement Housing seniors home as the McDougall Creek wildfire approaches the city of Kelowna, British Columbia on Aug. 18, 2023. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

 

The fight against the fire is not finished, according to Chief Jason Broland of the West Kelowna fire department, and that residents on Friday were facing conditions worse than those that had whipped up the firestorm late Thursday afternoon, to create a "devastating night". Over the weekend things took a hoped-for turn for the better when fire chiefs breathed a sigh of relief, reporting that the devastating rampage of wildfires around Lake Okanagan had turned a corner.

 

"Things are finally looking better", said fire chief Broland; the 500-personnel firefighting army was now in a new phase of battling the blazes. No more homes in West Kelowna had been destroyed in the past 24 hours and it was even possible at this juncture to begin to "talk about recovery. It's become evident that this event will leave a long-lasting scar on our community. But I have already seen how our community is coming together, and I'm looking forward to the continued progress."

"It's a day when we can take a deep breath" and focus on strategy, Kelowna fire chief Travis Whiting informed a news briefing. He was "very excited" about advances being made, his crews optimistic and in good spirits over the decreased fire activity in comparison to the extreme fire behaviour of recent days as blazes tore through neighbourhoods destroying homes in West Kelowna and Kelowna, on either side of the lake. Kelowna has a population of approximately 150,000 residents, while West Kelowna has about 36,000.

These positive developments taking place in the Central Okanagan arrived while a desperate battle against hundreds of fires across the province remained ongoing, with 30,000 people under evacuation orders and a provincial state of emergency in effect. "I'm finally feeling like we're moving forward, rather than moving backwards. And that's a great feeling for all of us to have", said fire chief Broland. "In saying that, make no mistake, there will be difficult days ahead."

West Kelowna fire Chief Jason Brolund says wildfires will have a lasting impact on community members, but they're working together to create positive change

British Columbia's Wildfire Service noted the fire now comprises 68 square kilometres, a whopping increase from the 11 square kilometres it compromised late Thursday afternoon. The Crater Creek wildfire, according to the wildfire service, spans 220 square kilometres near Cathedral Provincial Park, also subject to an evacuation order.