Operational Update
Kelowna, B.C. – The Emergency Operations Centre is sharing the following operational update for August 26, 2023.
Orders and alerts rescinded
Today, over 600 properties were downgraded from Evacuation Order to Evacuation Alert in Lake Country, in parts of West Kelowna, and for Westbank Frist Nation IR#10.
There are no longer any properties under Evacuation Order in Lake Country. All properties have been downgraded to Alert.
As of 3:00 p.m., approximately 1,588 properties remain on Evacuation Order in West Kelowna, 1,114 in the Regional District of Central Okanagan, Electoral Area and 38 in Westbank First Nation. There are 15,184 properties in total that remain on Evacuation Alert.
The Emergency Operations Centre does not anticipate any further Evacuation Order downgrades this evening.
Residents on Evacuation Alert must still be prepared to leave their properties at a moment’s notice if fire conditions change. Please visit cordemergency.ca/map to view all existing orders and alerts.
As orders are downgraded, residents returning home can access frequently asked questions and other resources to aid in their safe return. For the safety of the public and fire crews, please do not enter areas under an evacuation order. There are still many areas where active firefighting is underway and dangers like downed power lines, hazardous materials, damaged trees, debris and equipment pose a safety risk.
The resource booklet, ‘Returning Home Information Guide’ is available on the CORD Emergency website for residents returning to their homes.
While the fires in the District of Lake Country and the City of Kelowna are classified as ‘held’, there continue to be local fire crews patrolling alert areas and actioning hot spots in those wildfire locations. Residents can report hot spots to the non-emergency line at 250-469-8577. Fire suppression crews are continuing to action the McDougall Creek Wildfire. Visit BC Wildfire Service (gov.bc.ca). for more information on current resources.
Property notification tool
Property owners who have been placed on Evacuation Order can search to see if their property has incurred losses by visiting www.cordemergency.ca/propertyinfo. If your property has not been placed on Evacuation Order, your address will not show. The Emergency Operation Centre asks the general public to be respectful of this process – if you are not on Evacuation Order do not use the search tool.
The EOC expresses condolences to everyone who has experienced losses from the McDougall Creek, Clifton/McKinley and Lake Country Wildfires.
Emergency Support Services
Residents currently on Evacuation Order who have not already done so are strongly encouraged to register with Emergency Support Services (ESS) at https://ess.gov.bc.ca to ensure contact information is up to date.
The local ESS reception centre locations and hours of operation can be found on the CORD Emergency website.
For more information
Residents are asked to stay up to date with the status of alerts and orders through the CORD emergency site and to also subscribe to receive e-updates. Go online to cordemergency.ca. View the up-to-date evacuation order and alert areas on cordemergency.ca/map.
For more information, contact the information line at 250-469-8490 (local) or 1-877-569-8490 (toll-free). While we welcome all inquiries, the Emergency Operation Centre is also appealing to the public to only call the public information line if their matter is urgent, if they are on Evacuation Order or if they have been called to confirm a loss on their property. This will allow the Emergency Operations Centre the time to focus resources on helping those who need it most at this difficult time. For emergencies, call 9-1-1.
For municipal and local government information such as boat launch, park and road closures, visit their websites:
