Fire Update August 18 1700hrs
Fire Update
August 18 @ 1700 hrs
Members, there are a few changes from our previous update.
As previously reported, a local state of emergency has been declared by OKIB Council due to the evolving fire situation. A local state of emergency gives OKIB’s Emergency Operations Centre authority to draw on resources as required.
At this time, there are no Evacuation Alerts and no Evacuation Orders for any OKIB reserves. BC Wildfire Service has not expanded any alerts in the direction of OKIB.
Please note that the names of the fires may change as the fires evolve.
Lake Country Fires
A cluster of smaller fires in Lake Country has merged and it is estimated at 80 hectares. As reported earlier, Central Okanagan Emergency Operations has issued an Evacuation Alert for an area west of Highway 97. The expanded Evacuation Alert does not apply to any reserve lands at this time. It is important to note that for Duck Lake IR#7, Central Okanagan Emergency Management would be issuing evacuation alerts and/or orders.
McDougall Fire in West Kelowna
As of 3 PM the northern perimeter of the McDougall Creek fire was 20 km from IR#1. Winds are coming from the west and north with reduced winds predicted overnight. BC Wildfire Service has not expanded any alerts to Reserve lands. OKIB staff has confirmed by boat that this information is accurate. We will keep you advised of any changes.
OKIB staff are in touch with BC Wildfire Service and Central Okanagan Regional District (CORD) on a regular basis to receive updates. Information can be found also on the CORD Emergency website at https://cordemergency.ca
An Evacuation Alert does not mean people are being evacuated. An Evacuation Alert is usually issued to ensure people are aware that at some point in the future they may be asked to evacuate. The next level is an Evacuation Order, which is an official notice that people must evacuate.
Should you need to prepare for an Evacuation Alert or Evacuation Order, you should gather your emergency kit and your grab-and-go-bag. Information on items to include is available here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/preparedbc/build-an-emergency-kit-and-grab-and-go-bag
More information
Please follow these links for additional information on all fires.
· BC Wildfire: https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/map
- View a map of the Evacuation Alerts and Evacuation Orders: https://www.cordemergency.ca/map
- View the CORD news conference which took place earlier today here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AauBnKGWsss
OKIB will provide updates on the fire daily at approximately 11 AM and 5 PM following our briefings with BC Wildfire Service; and at other times throughout the day whenever updated information is available.
Please relay this information to your family and friends who may not be on social media.
