(Victoria) Evacuation orders for a total of 50 properties in West Kelowna and two other wildfire areas in British Columbia were lifted and downgraded to alert status on Saturday.
Published yesterday at 8:52 p.m.
The reduction in evacuation orders to alert means dozens of people in the Kamloops, Shuswap and Kelowna areas can return home but must still be prepared to leave at short notice, regional fire officials said.
In a news release issued Saturday afternoon, Emergency Operations in the Regional District of Central Okanagan listed the addresses of 50 properties in West Kelowna and the Westbank First Nation community where residents could return home after receiving an evacuation order.
“Properties in these areas were without power for several days. Those affected by mishaps are advised to discuss with their insurer what they should do with their household items, including spoiled food, fridges and freezers, before starting to throw away items. communicates.
The West Kelowna region has a curbside pickup program for used refrigerators and freezers, the release said.
There are currently 405 properties in the West Kelowna area evacuated and 20,011 properties on alert.
The McDougall Creek wildfire in the area remains considered out of control and is estimated to be more than 135 square kilometers in size.
Around 200 properties were destroyed in the wildfire in the Kelowna region.
Earlier Saturday, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District said in a statement that evacuation orders for 26 properties in the Kamloops and Shuswap Lake areas affected by two separate wildfires had also been downgraded to evacuation warnings.
Amended alert evacuation orders include three properties affected by the ongoing Ross Moore Lake wildfire south of Kamloops and 23 properties required to evacuate due to the Bush Creek East fire, the regional district stated.
The revised evacuation orders also allowed officials to expand warning zones in the Ross Moore Lake and Bush Creek East fire zones, the regional district said.
Residents of 11 properties in the Little Shuswap Lake area were advised to reach their homes by boat on the local road due to fire damage.
Approximately 200 homes in the Shuswap Lake area were destroyed or significantly damaged by the Bush Creek East wildfire.
The British Columbia Wildfire Service reported 15 new wildfires in the last 24 hours, bringing the number of active fires in the province to 421.