Evacuation order, alert issued as wildfire flares north of West Kelowna, B.C.
WEST KELOWNA, B.C. — Officials say cooler temperatures have helped British Columbia crews battling a wildfire that forced the evacuation of dozens of properties above the northwestern shore of Okanagan Lake.
The Bear Creek wildfire broke out late Sunday evening, near Bear Creek Provincial Park, and within hours the Central Okanagan Regional District ordered the evacuation of 156 properties.
Cooler weather helped stem the fire’s growth Monday and crews had the blaze 30 per cent contained by the afternoon, said fire information officer Melissa Klassen with the B.C. Wildfire Service.
About 50 provincial crews were working with local departments to fight the fire, which was estimated to be about 52 hectares in size, Klassen said.