VernonBlog: State of emergency declared in West Kelowna as forest fires rage

Sunday, July 19, 2009

State of emergency declared in West Kelowna as forest fires rage

Jason Luciw - Kelowna Capital News Published: July 19, 2009 1:00 AM

More than 4,700 homes remain evacuated in West Kelowna, affecting approximately 11,000 people as two forest fires continue to burn in the Glenrosa/Westbank and Rose Valley areas of the municipality, located across Okanagan Lake from Kelowna. Highway 97 remains closed indefinitely in the Westbank area, severing the only direct link between Kelowna and the southern Okanagan communities of Peachland, Summerland and Penticton. Addressing the media during a late Saturday night press conference, West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater said he and his council made the decision to declare a state of emergency for their community of 29,000 people. “Obviously (it's been) a really tough day. It’s a very dangerous situation,” said Findlater. “We knew it was dry, extremely dry, but, what we had today, that’s magnified this, is high winds, sometimes up to 60 kilometres an hour.” Everything that can be done is being done to attack the fire and help residents cope, said Findlater.

Areas under evacuation order now include Rose Valley subdivision, Seclusion Bay, Whitworth Road, Gellatly Road and Goat’s Peak (see list of roads below). “And as you know the (upper and lower) Glenrosa and Gellatly Bay area have already been evacuated,” said Findlater. Evacuated residents who have no place to stay are again advised to go to Royal LePage Place at the Mount Boucherie Civic Centre on Cameron Road. The nearby high school is also open to take any overflow. “There are people there who are billeting people in homes as best they can.” Peachland is also helping residents who’ve been stranded south of the Highway 97 closure. “Peachland is receiving them and putting them up in their community centre,” stated Findlater.

However, making Peachland's assistance efforts difficult is the fact that power is out in most of that tiny community, said Findlater. Power is also out in the Glenrosa and Gellatly Bay areas for approximately one more full day, according to B.C. Hydro spokeswoman Jeanette Hoft. Fortunately, the main transmission line to West Kelowna is so far unaffected by the forest fire, said Hoft. At least three homes have been destroyed and more than 30 homes are immediately threatened by the Glenrosa fire, which now totals more than 300 hectares, according to West Kelowna fire chief Wayne Schnitzler.So far, Gorman Bros. mill has been spared, said Schnitzler. Water bombers, 10 helicopters and a 169 person crew are assigned to fight the Glenrosa fire, Schnitzler added.

There is no containment of the Glenrosa fire whatsoever, according to B.C. Forest Service spokesman Rob Moore. Meanwhile, the second forest fire is now 30 hectares. It broke out in a remote area above the Rose Valley Reservoir to the west of the municipality. Shifting winds remain cause for concern with that fire, however, forcing evacuations on Lenz and Bartley Roads and the Rose Valley subdivision. Causes of neither fire have been determined at this time.

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