OKANAGAN: Evacuation orders and alerts…

Hey everyone, please make sure you check out the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations bulletins about current evacuation alerts and orders — here is the latest:

News Release No. 5 Central Okanagan, B.C. – There’s no change in the evacuation order and alert for areas of the Regional District of Central Okanagan affected by the White Rock Lake wildfire.  Information on the status of current orders and alerts and a map showing the impacted area is available on the RDCO Emergency program website www.cordemergency.ca.

Any change or update in this information will be available on the website, social media channels, emailed to those who have e-subscribed and through local media.

The current Evacuation Order affects 544 properties in the Westshore Estates subdivision off Westside Road and rural areas to the west.  RCMP are patrolling and providing security within the Evacuation Area.  Structural fire crews are also in the area conducting assessments.

Residents in the Evacuation Order area may register online with Emergency Support Services at ess.bc.ca. An in-person reception centre is open for those evacuees who require food and lodging assistance or are not able to register online at the Salvation Army, 1480 Sutherland Avenue in Kelowna. The facility is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to assist those displaced from their homes.

Motorists should be aware that Westside Road remains closed to northbound traffic at Westshore Road.  There is no access to Vernon northbound on Westside Road due to the Evacuation Order.  Check www.drivebc.ca for any updates on this closure.

Another 2,400 properties along Westside Road are under Evacuation Alert, south of Westshore Estates to the Bear Lake Main Forest Service Road intersection just north of Traders Cove.  The Alert area also includes all public lands located north of Bear and Esperon Forest Service Road.  Drivers should be aware the area is restricted to local traffic only.  Should fire conditions change, all people on Alert must be prepared to leave their home or campsite on short notice.  Information on emergency preparedness is available at www.cordemergency.ca/beprepared.

The latest information from the BC Wildfire Service estimates the fire is 32,500 hectares in size and remains out of control.  It says the most eastern point of the fire is just west of Little Bouleau Lake and approximately 15 kilometers west of Westside Road.  For updates on the status of the fire visit the White Rock Lake wildfire webpage on the BC Wildfire Service website:

bcfireinfo.for.gov.bc.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/OneFire.asp?ID=855.

Residents in the Evacuation Order area including Westshore Estates that do not require food or lodging assistance may register online with Emergency Support Services at ess.bc.ca. An in-person reception centre is open for those displaced who require assistance or are not able to register online at the Kelowna Salvation Army, 1480 Sutherland Avenue in Kelowna. The facility is open daily to assist those displaced from their homes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Emergency Operations Centre staff are working with other response agencies to manage the situation and minimize the impacts; however, affected residents should be prepared to obey an Evacuation Order. Visit cordemergency.ca for information on how to be prepared.

Emergency operations staff will release any new information to the public and media as soon as it becomes available.

Emergency response personnel request that the public:

  • Avoid the area so emergency responders can effectively perform their duties.
  • Report an emergency, including threat of life, by calling 9-1-1.
  • Report wildfires at *5555 on your cell phone
  • Visit cordemergency.ca for up-to-date information on the situation, including a map and to sign up for e-updates
  • Find updates on twitter.com/CO_Emerg and facebook.com/CORDEmergency

Contact the information line at 250-469-8490 or 1-877-569-8490 toll-free with questions.

COVID-19 measures UPDATED…

Hey everyone, we are passing along new information about COVID-19 measures being implemented in the Central Okanagan (Interior Health region).

As of midnight tonight, masks will be mandatory in all public indoor spaces once again. Travel to and from the region is also being strongly discouraged unless individuals are fully immunized.

More information published on Castanet here and on CBC News here.

BC Air Quality…

Hey everyone, one of our employees passed along this resource for checking in on local BC air quality — check it out here. Thanks, Norm!

Evacuation Alert…

…that we posted last week for the Brenda Creek wildfire just outside of Peachland is still in effect. Updates available on the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations website, and there are resources available online. Be sure to check out the links below.

News Release No. 9 Central Okanagan, B.C. – The Brenda Creek wildfire Evacuation Alert continues within a portion of the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area of the Regional District of Central Okanagan.

The Alert affects approximately 18 properties, three recreational campsites and Crown land in the RDCO electoral area south of Highway 97-C and northwest of Peachland.  An online map showing the Alert area  is available at cordemergency.ca/map.  This area is also affected by a BC Wildfire Area Restriction Order.

The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze remains out of control and is approximately 450 hectares in size exhibiting less vigorous behavior yesterday and overnight.

Today it has 40 firefighters and 11 pieces of heavy equipment on the ground along with two helicopters working the fire from the air.

Supporting BC Wildfire’s attack are 14 structural firefighters and equipment from Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland and North Westside departments.  They continue monitoring the BC Hydro transmission line corridor through the fire area, extinguishing hot spots and doing fire mitigation around power poles.

BC Hydro continues to actively monitor its transmission line and infrastructure through the Brenda Creek wildfire area. Crews remain on standby and ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

Customers are encouraged to learn more about preparing for any potential electricity outage by visiting BC Hydro’s website:

Prepared BC and Interior Health also provide helpful online preparation, health and mental health information and resources for anyone affected by the ongoing wildfire.

Interior Health has food safety information online to assist residents and businesses that could be impacted by any disruption in electrical service:

The next update from the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre is anticipated at 12 p.m. Tuesday.  In the meantime, the EOC remains ready to respond to any change in fire conditions as it supports first responders on the Brenda Creek wildfire.

All Central Okanagan residents are reminded that they should know the risks of potential emergencies, make a plan and prepare grab and go kits in the event they are required to leave their homes for at least 72 hours.

The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations website cordemergency.ca Be Prepared page is a centralized location for regional public emergency and preparedness information, including links to useful provincial and federal emergency resources such as PreparedBC, BC Wildfire Services, Emergency Management BC and Air Quality readings.

Be sure to sign-up for e-updates to receive timely updates directly to your inbox about emergency incidents. The Central Okanagan Emergency Operation Centre also provides information on Facebook at facebook.com/CORDEmergency and Twitter at twitter.com/CO_Emerg.

COVID-19 trends…

The Government of Canada has been gathering information about COVID-19 to identify trends. This information helps with planning and is available to everyone, and it includes:

  • Local data based on postal code.
  • Epidemiological reports.
  • Provincial and Territorial snapshots.
  • Mathematical modelling.

You can find this information here.

BC Restart Plan – STEP 3

Hey everyone, it’s been announced that BC is on track to move to STEP 3 of BC’s Restart Plan. Here is a link to the news release and some more information about what we can all expect at this time (starting July 1). You can find more information about BC’s Restart Plan in full here.

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