White Rock Lake Wildfire update / virtual information session Thurs Aug 26

I urge all residents to submit their questions to submit questions online. This will give you the opportunity to ask questions of the different agencies that played a role in the evacuation, fire, ESS, etc. and get some answers to the questions you have. Please make your questions pertinent to the issue and respectful. Thank you to all North Westsiders for your patience and perseverance we will get through this together.

News release No. 40 — Central Okanagan, B.C.Aug 25 2021@1705 – The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre will host an online virtual information session Thursday, Aug. 26 for residents and owners of properties located within the Regional District of Central Okanagan who are on evacuation order from the White Rock Lake wildfire.

The information session is intended to address questions from residents on evacuation order including those who have lost homes as we move from fighting the fire and returning people to their homes and forward into the community recovery phase. Any member of the public is also invited to attend:

Thursday, Aug. 26

6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

Livestream via the RDCO’s YouTube channel

View at www.youtube.com/regionaldistrict

Organizations including the RDCO, BC Wildfire, Insurance Bureau of Canada, BC Hydro, and A.L.E.R.T. will cover topics such as:

  • Neigbourhood condition updates
  • Timelines
  • BC Wildfire update
  • Utility restoration
  • Animal rescue
  • Emergency Support Services extension
  • Starting an insurance claim
  • Rebuilding or repairing your home and other structures

Residents are invited to submit questions online for the panel before Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021 at noon.

The ESS Reception Center will no longer have regular office hours at the reception centre at 1480 Sutherland Avenue in Kelowna. For further information on services and support please call 1-250-469-8512. To learn more about the provincial Emergency Support Services program, please go to ess.gov.bc.ca.

For more information about this wildfire, visit cordemergency.ca, 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.


News release No. 39 — Central Okanagan, B.C.Aug 25 2021@10:47am – BC Wildfire Service says that the White Rock Lake Wildfire remains active and out of control with an estimated size of 81,300 hectares. BCWS says most of the overnight growth, on the northeastern flank of the fire, was due to planned ignitions that occurred Tuesday, Aug. 24 outside the Regional District of Central Okanagan.

BCWS says planned ignitions will occur today, Wednesday, Aug. 25 within the Regional District of Central Okanagan, conditions permitting, starting around noon. The ignitions are being planned to secure the fire perimeter, burning north of Terrace Mountain, west toward the fire perimeter above Shorts Creek. The planned ignitions, northwest of Fintry Park, aim to remove approximately 200 hectares of fuel along the fire’s edge and pre-established control line along the fire; and during ignition operations, smoke will be visible in Kelowna, Lake Country, North Westside neighbourhoods, Okanagan Indian Band, Peachland, Vernon, Westbank First Nation, West Kelowna and other area communities.

BCWS says these strategic ignitions are required to contain areas of the fire perimeter that are inoperable and unsafe for ground crews and heavy equipment to work. Advance planning, forecasting, and data analysis are completed prior to all ignition operations.

The Evacuation Order for 1,316 properties and Alert for 850 properties, in the North Westside communities within the Regional District of the Central Okanagan, remains unchanged. Residents can visit cordemergency.ca/map to determine if their property is on Order or Alert.

Crews have confirmed that the wildfire has directly impacted 78 properties to date and the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre has contacted most Central Okanagan owners whose properties have sustained significant structural damage. Property assessment work is ongoing as conditions allow, and is subject to change as crews gain further access to affected areas.

“As another day came to a close, I was quickly reminded of how volatile and quickly a wildfire can start and spread. Both our neighbours had fires yesterday in the Bear Creek area and Okanagan Indian Band,” said North Westside Fire Chief Alex Van Bruksvoort. “I ask for your patience as we in here the North Westside still have an out of control fire above our community.”

“North Westside Fire Rescue is continuing our night patrols, and extinguishing any spot fires they find. We continue our hard work alongside all the other amazing hard working agencies, as they continue to get the North Westside community ready for your homecoming.”

The Emergency Operations Center will be organizing an online community information session for owners of properties located within the Regional District of Central Okanagan who are on evacuation order from the White Rock Lake wildfire. Other members of the public are invited to attend the session, which will take place Thursday, Aug. 26, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Submit questions for the panel in advance before noon, Aug. 26 by going online. To watch the livestreamed community information session go to the RDCO YouTube channel on the evening of the event at youtube.com/regionaldistrict.

Residents under an Evacuation Order or Alert must register with Emergency Support Services even if they do not require support with accommodations. Registration ensures residents can be contacted in the event of significant damages to their property. While there is not a specific time-frame for when evacuation orders will be lifted, evacuees should expect that they will not be able to access their home until crews deem it safe to do so:

  • Hotspots and flare ups have continued almost daily, and major equipment is active in the area, with suppression lines and bladders in place to support fighting the fire. Fire crews need unimpeded access to the area.
  • Crews continue to assess, identify and dispose of hazardous materials. There is no power and no potable water in the affected areas.
  • Crews are working to restore services to prepare for the time when it is deemed safe to return. BC Hydro is repairing power infrastructure.

Evacuated residents can call 1-833-498-3770 to register and request assistance, such as lodging and food, from Emergency Support Services. The ESS reception centre at 1480 Sutherland Avenue is open today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Registering with the ESS, even if you do not need support, provides a way for the EOC to contact property owners whose properties have been damaged.

For more information about this wildfire, visit cordemergency.ca, 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

Daybreak South with Chris Walker – CBC Radio Aug 25 2021@7:35am – More than a thousand residents are still waiting to get a glimpse of properties destroyed, damaged or spared by devastating White Rock Lake wildfire.

InfoTel News  Rob Munro Aug 25 2021@6:30 AM (also Vernon Morning Star, Vernon Matters, Castanet‘Anything that could be and would be saved, was saved:’ North Westside fire chief says (of the preparations that we all made,” Alex Van Bruksvoort, chief of North Westside Fire Rescue, told iNFOnews.ca.)

Kelowna Daily Courier  RON SEYMOUR Aug 25 2021@1:19 PM Once-maligned boat critical for fire evacuations, former chief says (Estamont Beach, and Beau Park, Central Okanagan Emergency Operations said in a…)

 Global News  Doyle Potenteau Aug 25 2021@11:27 AM White Rock Lake wildfire: Number of ‘impacted’ residences now at 78, say officials (said on Tuesday morning. Central Okanagan Emergency Operations announced the update…)

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