(MARSHALL JONES / iNFOnews.ca)
July 22, 2015 - 8:04 AM
WEST KELOWNA - Evacuees from roughly 70 homes on Westside Road should expect to remain under order today, according to emergency officials.
Current information still shows the fire at 430 hectares but with no containment — no change from last night. Updated information is expected this morning. However Central Okanagan Regional District Emergency Operations says evacuation orders for the area remain in effect. No homes have been lost so far.
"Incident Command will be meeting later this morning to determine today’s plan of attack for fighting the fire," the operations centre said in a release this morning. "The Wildfire Service says yesterday’s aerial attack focused on building and reinforcing retardant lines along the northern and southern flanks of the fire while on the ground crews and equipment established hand and machine guards."
RCMP continue security patrols on land and on water to protect homes and keep boaters on Okanagan Lake well away from the area so fixed wing and helicopters working the blaze are unimpeded.
So far, 59 people have registered at the Emergency Support Services Reception Centre. The centre reopens at 8:30 a.m. in the Westside Lions Community Hall, 2466 Main St. in West Kelowna. Evacuated residents should register for assistance by emergency social services volunteers with food, lodging and clothing needs. The Canadian Animal Disaster Response Team are on hand to help evacuees with animals. Call 250-809-7152 for assistance.
There are no evacuation alerts associated with this fire. Neither La Casa Resort or Lake Okanagan Resort are under the evacuation order or alert at this time.
Westside Road is still closed between Cinnabar Creek and La Casa Resort. For the latest road information please visit the Drive BC website, www.drivebc.ca.
Properties from 3985 Westside Road north to La Casa Resort (but not including La Casa) as well as Denison Road, Shelter Cove Road and Deighton Road are under evacuation order.
About 1,400 B.C. Hydro customers are without power in the area.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015