About 60 contract wildfire workers remain in West Kelowna to help remove sandbags, however they will be relocated within the next 24-hours. The current camp located in Gellatly Bay will also be taken down shortly.
(MARSHALL JONES / iNFOnews.ca)
July 10, 2017 - 12:47 PM
KELOWNA - More than 200 fires are burning across the province but dozens of firefighters remain stationed in West Kelowna to help remove sandbags from spring flood mitigation work.
They remain camped in tents on Westbank First Nation lands behind Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre.
“Right now we have 110 wildfire personnel in the area to help with the flooding efforts,” said Laura Wilson, a public information officer with the Central Okanagan Emergency Operation Centre. “We are anticipating that number will change due to the current wildfire situation, but that’s what we have now.”
According to Wilson, the crews are working in West Kelowna Monday morning to remove sandbags.
However, according to Kevin Skrepnek, Chief Fire Information Officer, that number is closer to 60 personnel, comprised of forest industry contract workers, and will be relocated shortly.
“Given the current situation, we’ll be pulling those contract workers out within the day,” he said. “The camp at Gellatly will also be taken down and moved elsewhere.”
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