Live updates: Hundreds ordered to evacuate their homes as wildfire burns in West Kelowna, B.C.

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Elsewhere in B.C., an evacuation order and alert have been issued for an area south of Kamloops, where the Kullagh Creek wildfire is burning out of control. 

The fire, just off Highway 5A on the western shore of Stump Lake, was discovered this morning, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. It was initially listed at 30 hectares in size, but has since grown to an estimated 130 hectares (1.3 square kilometres). The cause of the fire is under investigation, the wildfire service says. 

One property has been ordered to evacuate, and an evacuation alert has been issued for the surrounding area. Officials have also declared a local state of emergency.

As our reporters on the ground have mentioned, wind is the critical factor right now. Since about 8 a.m. PT, we've seen southwest winds gusting between 40 and 50 km/h. That is both feeding oxygen to the flames and pushing active embers directly northeast.

Fire weather forecasters consider conditions to be extreme when three specific thresholds are crossed: winds gusting over 30 km/h, temperatures above 30 C, and relative humidity dipping below 30 per cent. 

We are hitting two out of those three benchmarks right now: it's dry and windy, and temperatures are sitting just a few degrees shy of that 30 C mark.

A small low-pressure system currently forming over the southeastern part of the province is controlling these winds. This system could bring a few much needed showers to the Okanagan tonight, but widespread soaking is not expected. Winds should ease overnight.

Looking ahead to tomorrow, winds will pick back up in the afternoon, but the big story will be a shift in direction. By Wednesday afternoon, those winds will be coming out of the northwest, changing the direction the fire is being pushed.

The B.C. Wildfire Service has 12 personnel currently assisting the lead West Kelowna Fire Department, and more firefighters are on the way, said Shae Stearns, information officer with the Kamloops Fire Centre. 

Stearns stressed that people need to stay informed through "accurate channels" like the West Kelowna Fire Department and Central Okanagan Regional District.

She encouraged anyone reporting a wildfire to take a photo and submit it through the B.C. Wildfire Service's mobile app. 

Lise Guyogh in Kelowna says she lost everything in the McDougall Creek fire in 2023. Now, she's watching closely as another fire burns near the community.  

"It's a little traumatizing because we know what everyone who's been evacuated is going through," she said. "It can be pretty scary."

Speaking from experience, she advises everyone in the Okanagan to make sure they have their insurance papers handy, and to try to take photos of everything they have in their homes, just in case.

"This is a day that we knew could be coming," he said. 

His crew has been fighting the fire since mid-morning. He said it started in Kalamoir Regional Park and "spread very rapidly" to threaten "hundreds of homes," but none have been lost — though some, he said, were saved by inches.

Brolund said more than 100 firefighters are working on the fire right now, and firefighters from other departments are helping out. 

Right now, he's "cautiously optimistic" about the situation. 

"We are continuing to give it our all," he said.

I'm currently in West Kelowna, close to the wildfire that sparked today. Planes and helicopters are flying overhead, dumping water on the wildfire and then flying down to Okanagan Lake to refill. 

I'm parked in the Casa Loma neighbourhood and I can see people leaving their homes and evacuating the area under orders from the fire department. Some people set up sprinklers on their roofs before leaving. 

I can’t see flames, but the smoke is thick and burning my eyes and ash is falling from the sky. Casa Loma is on a hill, and I can see whitecaps on Okanagan Lake from the wind.

B.C. Officials share update on wildfire, drought season

Provincial politicians and staff from the River Forecast Centre and B.C. Wildfire Service will provide an outlook on wildfire and drought in the upcoming months.

As smoke from the fire in West Kelowna began billowing this morning, wildfire officials were talking to the media about what is predicted to be a challenging wildfire season. 

Drought conditions are worse than they were in previous years, the B.C. Wildfire Service said, and the amount of rain needed to mitigate it is unlikely. 

It's also forecast to be hot. 

Heat combined with all that dry fuel on the ground makes for a strong likelihood we're in for a busy season, officials said.

With evacuation orders and alerts now in place for homes around Kalamoir Park, Martin is urging people to remain calm. 

"Do not panic," he said. "Prepare your 72-hour kit so you can stay out of your home for that length of time. Take a nice easy route back out Campbell Road."

Martin clarified that evacuation orders have been issued for Benedick Road, Casa Loma Road, Casa Loma Estates, Casa Palmero Estates and Casa Palmero, with everyone else in the Casa Loma area on evacuation alert. 

The fight against the McDougall Creek fire lasted more than a month. 

It wasn't considered "held" by the B.C. Wildfire Service until Sept. 23, 2023 — when it was no longer a threat to human safety. 

But it left the community trying to figure out how to rebuild their homes and protect their community from future disasters. Fire Chief Jason Brolund became an advocate for the FireSmart program that promotes wildfire mitigation near homes. 

On Aug. 15, 2023, the McDougall Creek fire spread quickly after it start about 10 kilometres north of the city — and about six kilometres northwest of today's fire. 

Tens of thousands of residents were forced to evacuate, and heavy smoke filled the region as people watched the glow of the fire from the other side of the lake. 

About 189 structures were eventually lost to the fire, which burned nearly 140 square kilometres of land.

Firefighters with the fire department in Wilson's Landing were among the many local crews that battled the McDougall Creek blaze.

Unfortunately, the fire destroyed the homes of 13 of those firefighters while they were working to save others in the small community, just north of West Kelowna.

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