White Rock Lake Wildfire update / Structure Protection
Have you ever wondered what Structure Protection crews do when wildfires threaten communities?
Neill Moroz, Structure Protection Specialist, has been working on the White Rock Lake wildfire for several weeks now. In this video, Neill provides an overview of what the Structure Protection Branch does on a wildfire and shares some stories of the tireless work crews have been doing. Good Structural Protection Video
News Release No. 45 Central Okanagan, B.C. — Aug 28 2021@9:07am – Conditions remain unchanged for the White Rock Lake wildfire and the evacuation Orders and Alerts in the North Westside communities within the Regional District of the Central Okanagan (RDCO) remain in place. The 81,362 hectare wildfire remains active and out of control. The slight decrease in size is a result of ongoing improved mapping.
“North Westside Fire Rescue continues to support all outside agencies, including tree assessments, RDCO water engineering, and support for pets and animals,” says Fire Chief Alex Van Bruksvoort. “The men and women on the ground continue their dedicated work, including throughout the night, looking for and extinguishing hotspots. Thank you all for your patience as we work hard to safeguard the North Westside neighbourhoods so that residents can eventually return home.”
BC Wildfire Services reports positive progress on all flanks of the fire with crews continuing to look for hotspots using infrared.
Today 60 Canadian Armed Forces are arriving on-site, with a further 60 personnel set to arrive tomorrow, to support BC Wildfire Services and assist with patrol efforts. There are 281 wildland firefighters, 92 structural protection firefighters and seven danger tree assessors working on the wildfire with an incident management team. Supporting their efforts are 14 helicopters and 40 pieces of heavy equipment.
Central Okanagan evacuees can find out more about Emergency Support Services by calling 250-469-8512 or by visiting the Central Okanagan ESS Reception Centre at 1480 Sutherland Avenue, Kelowna, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and noon to 6 p.m. tomorrow, Sunday August 29. The following rules apply:
- Evacuated residents WITH homeowner or tenant insurance will not be given an extension for coverage and should immediately contact their insurance provider to find out what coverage is available.
- Evacuated residents WITHOUT homeowner or tenant insurance may receive support and should contact Emergency Support Services.
You can visit the Insurance Bureau of Canada for more information on the process of an insurance claim as a result of a BC wildfire at www.ibc.ca/ns/disaster/bcwildfire.
There are eligibility requirements for emergency support services. Homeowner or tenant insurance may provide greater support than the Emergency Support Services program. Check with your insurer to determine what may be available to you. For details on eligibility, see the Evacuee Living Assistance Policy (PDF, 378KB).
For more information about this wildfire, visit cordemergency.ca, BC Wildfire Services and sign up for e-updates, follow the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre on facebook.com/cordemergency or twitter.com/CO_emerg or call the information line at 250-469-8490.
Media
InfoTel News Rob Munro Aug 28 2021@8:01 AM Wildfire evacuees could have had more notice if B.C. had Alberta’s alert system (Regional District of the Central Okanagan. Instead, local authorities…)
