The Bear Creek fire as seen from a boat near Kelowna.

(ADAM PROSKIW / iNFOnews.ca)

UPDATE: 8:32 p.m. July 19

RCMP have asked that boaters keep well clear of the area around Bear Creek Park to ensure B.C. Forest Service air tankers and helicopters can safely access water from Okanagan Lake.

UPDATE: 7:06 p.m. July 19

Kelowna B.C.– Bear Creek Main at Westside Road and Bear Creek Road at Parkinson Road are closed to traffic as a result on a fire in the Bear Creek Park area.

Residents are on evaculation alert in the area north of Parkinson Road including Bear Creek Road, Bear Creek Main, Rose Valley Road, Petterson Road and Dougmac Road.

Residents in the area are advised to be ready to leave their home 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,.

An evaluation of the situation is underway and specific details will be released as they are confirmed. Public safety and the safety of emergency response personnel are the primary concerns at this time.

Emergency Operations Centre staff are working with other response agencies to manage the situation and minimize the impacts, however residents of the area should be prepared to obey an evacuation order.

New information will be released to the media as soon as it becomes available.

Emergency response personnel request that the public:

Monitor cordemergency.ca for confirmed information about the situation
Please only CALL 911 in case of emergency
Monitor cordemergency.ca, facebook.com/CORDEmergency or twitter.com/CO_Emerg for confirmed information about the situation

UPDATE: 6:42 p.m.

Due to a one hectare fire currently being actioned by West Kelowna Fire Department and the BC Forest Service in the Bear Creek Park area, residents from the intersection Parkinson Road north, including Bear Creek Road, Bear Creek Main, Rose Valley Road, Petterson Road and Dougmac Road are on evacuation alert.

Residents in the area are advised to be ready to leave their home 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.

An evaluation of the situation is underway and specific details will be released as they are confirmed. Public safety and the safety of emergency response personnel are the primary concerns at this time.

Emergency Operations Centre staff are working with other response agencies to manage the situation and minimize the impacts, however residents of the area should be prepared to obey an evacuation order.

New information will be released to the media as soon as it becomes available. Go to cordemergency.ca for the most current confirmed information.

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