Reader Shawna Burghall provided this photo of the Mount Christie wildfire.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Shawna Burghall
August 19, 2020 - 12:00 PM
If Penticton residents need some place to stay, or for a temporary home for their animals if they're evacuated due to the Mount Christie wildfire, the Kelowna Riding Club is happy to offer a spot.
The Kelowna Riding Club, a non-profit group that has a 10-acre facility on Kelowna's Gordon Drive, has offered its stalls and spaces for animals should Penticton residents need to evacuate and will be following social distancing protocols, said club member Amy Nutt.
More than 300 homes have been evacuated and nearly 4,000 Penticton homes are on evacuation alert due to a 1,000-hectare wildfire south of the city’s border.
READ MORE: Hundreds evacuated, thousands on notice as wildfire flares in southern B.C.
This isn’t the first time the club has offered its spaces for animals and residents in need. Back in 2017 with the fire on Philpott Road in Joe Rich, residents brought their horses and even pigs and goats to the facility, Nutt said. Residents also camped at the facility until they could find a hotel.
Currently, the riding club’s board of directors is working on COVID-19 protocols which will be released soon, she said.
“We’re taking every measure to ensure that horses and animals are spread out between stalls so they’re not sharing spaces if they come from different facilities and that people are able to take care of themselves on out property and their animals without jeopardizing social distancing rules,” Nutt said.
To reach Nutt, call her at 250-300-5871. To stay updated with the club, visit its Facebook page.
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