West Kelowna fire department returns to ‘normal’ operations: wildfire service

Canadian Press in CTV News
August 27, 2023
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The BC Wildfire Service says the West Kelowna, B.C., fire department is returning to “normal day-to-day operations,” 10 days after a fast-moving wildfire forced thousands to flee and went on to destroy more than 170 homes in the area. It says an additional 1,800 people have been allowed to return home this weekend as evacuation orders are lifted. …The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre says 1,588 properties remain on evacuation order in West Kelowna and 1,114 remain on order in rural areas of the regional district as well as on Westbank First Nation lands. The McDougall Creek wildfire, responsible for much of the destruction in the West Kelowna area, continues to burn out of control over 123 square kilometres. In the Shuswap region to the north, BC Wildfire Service says a warming and drying trend will fuel increased fire behaviour at the 430-square-kilometre Bush Creek East blaze before temperatures are expected to cool Tuesday.

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