UPDATE: 10:35 p.m.
BC Wildfire personnel along with Wilson’s Landing and North Westside fire crews will remain on scene of the Bald Range Creek blaze overnight.
Westside Road between Main Street and Deighton Road will be closed until further notice. Fire crews will be monitoring the road, however, motorists are asked to check Drivebc.ca for updates at 7 a.m. Tuesday.
An evacuation alert remains in effect for the 18 properties within the Electoral Area West from 3985 to 4069 Westside Road.
The wildfire remains at an estimated 5 hectares in size.
The BC Hydro outage continues to affect more than 1,300 customers in the area due to the fire.
While the cause of the blaze is under investigation there are reports a tree fell on a wire sparking a fire after strong winds in the area.
The Bald Range Creek Wildfire is being monitored overnight. Westside Rd btw Main St & Deighton Rd remains closed. Visit https://t.co/QhxNhLFuT3 for updates. Next update tomorrow unless conditions change.
— Central Ok Emergency (@CO_Emerg) July 18, 2023
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UPDATE: 9:35 p.m.
An evacuation alert has been issued within the Electoral Area West for 18 properties from 3985 to 4069 Westside Road due to the Bald Range Creek wildfire.
The Central Okanagan Regional District issued the alert and reminds residents in the area to be ready to leave their homes at a moment’s notice.
“They should be prepared to be away from their home for an extended period of time, make arrangements for pets and pack essential items such as medicines and important documents,” stated the RDCO.
Emergency Support Services has mobilized at Okanagan Lake Resort for the time being.
Westside Road will be affected by traffic control.
BC Wildfire and Central Okanagan Emergency Response (CORD) is evaluating the situation and will update as necessary.
We are aware of the #BCWildfire (K51840) located on the west side of Okanagan Lake. Crews are responding and EOC activated. More info to come. Visit https://t.co/XBeUYmRmBP to sign up for updates. #RegionalDistrictofCentralOkanagan
— Central Ok Emergency (@CO_Emerg) July 18, 2023
UPDATE: 9:26 p.m.
Airtankers are no longer working on the Bald Range Creek wildfire and have been grounded for the night.
The blaze still remains at an estimated five hectares.
There are five wildfire personnel on site along local crews. It’s unclear how many personnel will remain at the incident overnight depending on the situation.
Smoke and flame in the area have subsided.
More than 1,300 BC Hydro customers in the area remain in the dark due to the blaze, with no estimated time of power being restored.
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UPDATE: 8:25 p.m.
Central Okanagan Emergency Operation has been activated in response to the blaze off Westside Road.
However, there are no current evacuation orders or alerts associated with this incident.
The blaze is now being called the Bald Range Creek wildfire and is an estimated five hectares in size.
Westside Road is closed while crews are on scene.
Fire caused by wind and power line near near La casa west side road near Kelowna #kelowna #fire #bc @wilfmulder pic.twitter.com/5pe8xv6PvU
— Dr. Christian Sasse (@Sassephoto) July 18, 2023
UPDATE: 7:45 p.m.
The wildfire burning north of Okanagan Lake Resort near Fintry is an estimated five hectares in size.
BC Wildfire crews are using Okanagan Lake as a water source to respond to this incident. Boaters must stay back so aircraft can conduct work safely. The public is asked to leave the area immediately.
The blaze, which is highly visible to both the City of Kelowna and the District of Lake Country, is continuing to spread and is not responding to suppression efforts.
There are no current evacuation orders or alerts associated with this incident.
The #BCWildfireService is currently responding to a wildfire (K51840) located on the west side of Okanagan Lake, approximately 15 kilometres north of @WestKelownaCity
— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) July 18, 2023
Update 7 p.m.
BC Wildfire crews are attacking a blaze 15 kilometres north of West Kelowna.
The Bald Range Creek fire is estimated at 0.2 hectares in size.
Multiple aircrafts and ground personnel have responded.
Fire crews and police are asking people to stay off Okanagan Lake near Fintry to give room for water bombers.
Power is out to 1,378 BC Hydro customers due to the wildfire.
The outage extends from Killiney Beach to past Caesars.
BC Hydro crews are on site along with BC Wildfire.
Original 6:20 p.m.
Smoke is visible in the Fintry area, north of West Kelowna.
Emergency crews have been called to a downed power line that started a fire near 4400 Westside Road.
The blaze is being considered an active wildfire, but is less than one hectare in size.
The story will be updated as more information becomes available.
@thebrittwebster
brittany.webster@blackpress.ca
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