Okanagan highway reopens through West Kelowna

CBC NEWS:

B.C.'s Highway 97 and 97C south of West Kelowna have reopened after being closed over the weekend because of nearby forest fires. The highways, which connect the Kelowna area with southern parts of the Okanagan Valley and the Coquihalla Highway to Vancouver, were reopened at 6 a.m. PT Tuesday by officials after they determined two nearby forest fires and the associated smoke were no longer a danger to motorists. About 6,000 residents were also expecting to be able to return home Tuesday morning, after large parts of West Kelowna were evacuated on Saturday.Officials said Tuesday night that the evacuation order will be lifted at 8 a.m. for almost 2,000 homes north of Glenrosa Road and north of Powers Creek, but the residents were told they will have to be ready to leave again at a moment's notice, as the area remains under an evacuation alert. Another 5,000 residents remain unable to return home, as crews continue to battle two fires burning in the area, and a further 6,000 residents, who were not forced out of their homes, still remain under an evacuation alert. Fire officials said the Glenrosa fire is now 60 per cent contained but the Rose Valley fire is only 10 per cent contained. A third fire to the north at Terrace Mountain has not been threatening any homes.

----------------------------

WRitten by Glen Morrison Tuesday, 21 July 2009 03:35107.5 KISSFM:

About 6-thousand Glenrosa residents can go home as of 8 o'clock this morning, after being forced out since Saturday by the forest fire in their neighborhoods. And Highway-97 and the 97-C Connector are to re-open to traffic, also at 8am today. People living north of Glenrosa Road and north of Powers Creek can return home this morning, although they'll still be on evacuation alert, and they could be told to leave again if conditions change. Residents south of Highway-97 and west of Powers Creek, including properties northwest of the Cove Resort, are still on evacuation-orders. And when it comes to the Rose Valley fire, all evacuation orders and alerts remain in place for now. The Terrace Mountain fire near Fintry is still uncontained with alerts for residents in place.