Evacuation order expanded – EOC

A helicopter drops water on fire on the hillside below Desert Pines Avenue. (Dave Preston photo)

Contributed

An Evacuation Order for the Trepanier Forest Fire has been expanded to include the following properties:

• Chidley Road
• 5091 Cousins Place
• One property north of Highway 97 next to 4713 MacKinnon Road
• 5350 -5358 Huston Road
• 4713, 4850, 5126 MacKinnon Road
• 3642 Walker Road

Affected residents will be directed to the appropriate Emergency Support Services Reception Centre. A map showing the Evacuation area is available at www.cordemergency.ca

An Evacuation Alert is in effect for properties affected by a forest fire south west of the Okanagan Connector. The streets within the Evacuation Alert area include:

• 1^stAvenue
• 2^ndAvenue
• 3^rd Avenue
• 4^th Avenue
• 6^th Avenue
• 7^th Avenue
• Clements Crescent
• Pincushion Place
• Ponderosa Drive
• Ponderosa Place

An Evacuation Alert means residents should be prepared to leave their homes with little or short notice should the fire threat grow and the Evacuation Order is expanded.

A map showing the Evacuation Alert area can be viewed at www.cordemergency.ca

Highway 97 is closed at Princeton Road in Peachland and at Glenrosa Road in West Kelowna.

A second Emergency Support Services Reception Centre is open for residents needing assistance and having to drive south from Peachland at the Summerland Arena and Curling Club, 8820 Jubilee Road East.

Affected residents within Peachland are asked not to turn on their irrigation systems or shut off any pre-programmed irrigation in order to conserve water for the fire fighting operation.

An Evacuation Order remains in place for properties affected by a forest fire south west of the Okanagan Connector including Trepanier Road from the Connector including Star Place all within the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area and an area within the District of Peachland.

An Emergency Social Services Reception Centre is now open. Residents within the Evacuation Area are asked to report to the Emergency Support Services Reception Centre at the Westbank Lions Community Hall, 2466 Main Street in West Kelowna. Affected residents are asked to report to the Reception Centre in person to register.

Local States of Emergency have been declared for the affected areas within the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area and in the District of Peachland.

The interface fire was reported around 3:00 pm this afternoon. BC Wildfire Management crews and equipment along with crews from West Kelowna, Peachland and Kelowna are actively fighting the fire.

The Central Okanagan Emergency Operation Centre is in operation to support the crews fighting this wildfire.

For the latest information on the status of the Okanagan Connector Highway 97-C motorists are asked to visit the DriveBC website.

New information will be available on the Regional District Emergency Program website www.cordemergency.ca and updates will also be there and released to the media as soon as it becomes available. Media can contact (250) 469-8493 if needed. Public inquiries can be directed to 1-877-569-8490.