Update on White Rock Lake wildfire News Release No. 31
News Release No. 31 Central Okanagan, B.C. — Evacuation Alerts and Orders for properties within Central Okanagan West Electoral Area will remain in place overnight as the White Rock Lake wildfire has been active today and is still classified as out of control. A detailed map showing the present status of Orders and Alerts affecting properties within the RDCO is at cordemergency.ca/map.
Overnight, RCMP, structural fire crews and equipment from North Westside and the BC Wildfire Service will patrol throughout the fire department service area communities. They will be watching for and extinguishing any spot fires or hot spots that may occur.
Those who have been evacuated should ensure they are registered with Emergency Support Services, even if they don’t require assistance. The information provided is also useful if emergency officials need to get in touch with property owners. Register online at ess.gov.bc.ca or call 1-833-498-3770. The in-person reception centre at 1480 Sutherland Avenue in Kelowna is open until 6 this evening and will be open again tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Emergency Operations Centre staff continue to contact and field calls from those people whose properties sustained significant damage by the wildfire. Initial property assessments are being done once it is safe to do so. As the fire remains active, there are areas that have yet to be visited.
Residents in Alert areas should be prepared to leave their homes with short notice and for an extended period of time. This includes making arrangements for pets and packing essential items such as medicines and important documents.
Some ways residents can get prepared include:
- Make or purchase a 72-hour emergency kit
- Know where the water and power shut offs are in your house
- Have an evacuation plan, including for your pets
- Visit cordemergency.ca/beprepared
Residents can stay informed by signing up for e-updates at cordemergency.ca.
Visitors from outside of the Central Okanagan should check DriveBC.ca to confirm highways are open before heading back home. Anyone wishing to check whether friends or family have been evacuated can use the “Find an address or place” search feature on the website at cordemergency.ca/map. Properties within the red outline are on Evacuation Order and properties within the amber outline are on Evacuation Alert.
For more information about this wildfire, visit cordemergency.ca, sign up for e-updates, or call the information line at 250-469-8490.
