Kelowna's Unprecedented Wildfires

Firefighters are overwhelmed by the scale of the wildfires

Following the evacuation of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories because of an impending wildfire, a community about a five-hour drive east of Vancouver is on edge watching the wildfires consume the forests and houses in the Okanagan.

There's West Kelowna and then Kelowna proper which are joined by a bridge over Lake Okanagan along Highway 97.

Fires were burning in West Kelowna and then late last night high winds blew the fire across the narrowest part of Lake Okanagan over to Kelowna.

West Kelowna residents had to evacuate

Many people in West Kelowna grabbed whatever they could and drove across the bridge to Kelowna hoping they would be safe, but in some cases, their friends and family were suddenly under an evacuation alert too because fires were encroaching on neighbourhoods there too.

This morning long time West Kelowna resident Steven Francis had an emotional interview with the host of the early morning Vancouver radio show. He said he had faced evacuation orders before, but the intensity of the McDougall Creek fire was unlike anything he had experienced. 

"It came right to our doorstep, with all its rage and fury and power. And I broke down," he said, pausing and his voice choked.

"I had a moment, and maybe I'm having one now."

Watching the inferno across Lake Okanagan

Even one of the radio hosts based in Kelowna announced an evacuation alert for his own neighbourhood later in the day. One wondered if he even had time to prepare, as he was so focused on giving listeners as much information as he could about the wildfire situation as it evolved so quickly.

It was also heartbreaking to listen to West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund in the afternoon when he said: "We fought hard last night to protect our community. We fought 100 years worth of fires all in one night."

Some listeners called in to talk about their situation, while others profusely thanked the firefighters and emergency response personnel for working so hard to do whatever they could to protect their houses.

When asked what evacuees planned to do for the next few days, they all said they couldn't, that their priority was to get out of their situation and now they could only take it day by day because the wildfire situation is constantly evolving. 

For me, in mid June I visited Kelowna and a handful of small cities in the Okanagan by car and saw first hand the stunning scenery of mountainous areas covered in trees that go in peaks and valleys around the perimeter of Lake Okanagan, a giant lake that is 135km long, and between 4km-5km wide.

Eby declared a state of emergency this evening

At dinner time BC Premier David Eby finally showed up in a televised press conference and declared a state of emergency so that people would evacuate the area to allow firefighters to do their work without distractions. Shockingly there were reports of people flying drones or not heeding calls to evacuate which not only impede firefighters but also endanger their lives.

There are now questions about what the government could have done to mitigate these wildfires, and what it will do for all these displaced people. Over a year after wildfires destroyed a town called Lytton, and yet up till now nothing has been rebuilt. 

Turning closer to home, it makes me wonder -- if there is a fire here, what are the essential items I would take with me if we had to leave our home? Where would we go? It's a mental checklist that needs to be thought of now, not when it's too late.