The wildfire battle in British Columbia continues today, focusing on the central Okanagan where flames tore through West Kelowna suburbs and forced the evacuation of neighbouring Kelowna's University of B.C. campus. The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above lakefront homes in West Kelowna, B.C., on Friday, August 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
KELOWNA – The fire chief of West Kelowna says an “army” of firefighters from across the province has managed to earn a reprieve for the city in the battle against a devastating wildfire.
But fire chief Jason Brolund says firefighters continue to face multiple structure fires that include streets full of burning houses.
Brolund told a Saturday morning briefing that the previous night’s battle got a boost from calmer and cooler conditions, but the fight continues to expand.
He says the “real successes” overnight came about due to 200 firefighters battling the destructive McDougall Creek wildfire.
Meanwhile, structural losses have been confirmed in the City of Kelowna by fire chief Travis Whiting, who says he can’t confirm numbers until after homeowners have been informed.
The Okanagan fires are at the epicentre of B.C.’s fight to control hundreds of blazes, which have triggered a provincewide state of emergency
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2023.
