A new wildfire has been spotted along Westside Road near Bear Creek Provincial Park

(DAN WALTON / iNFOnews.ca)

A new fire has started along Westside Road near Bear Creek Provincial Park this afternoon.

Fire crews are on scene today, Aug. 24, north of Sail View Bay and east of Rose Valley Reservoir.

Tactical evacuations in the areas surrounding the fire originally included residents on Bear Creek Road north of Parkinson Road and the Sail View Bay subdivision, according to the Central Okanagan emergency operations centre. A portion of the order has since been lifted for Sail View Bay residents.

Westside Road was closed in both directions between Lindley Drive and Traders Cove Road for roughly six kilometres, but has since reopened to single-lane alternating traffic.

B.C. Wildfire Service is aiding West Kelowna fire crews with four personnel, two helicopters bucketing water from Okanagan Lake and multiple air tankers. West Kelowna firefighters have also asked for mutual aid from Kelowna.

According to the wildfire service fire information officer Shaelee Stearns, the new blaze is currently estimated at three hectares. Stearns couldn’t say whether the fire will be neutralized during the initial attack or not.

Power to the area is out due to a tree that has fallen on power lines.

The emergency operations centre is asking the public to keep a safe distance from the blaze, and motorists are asked to not stop along Westside Road to take photos so crews can safely to their work.

For the latest on the wildfire and evacuations from the Central Okanagan emergency operations centre go here.

A new wildfire has been discovered on the other side of these homes near Westside Road

(DAN WALTON / iNFOnews.ca)

A new wildfire has been spotted along Westside Road near Bear Creek Provincial Park

(DAN WALTON / iNFOnews.ca)

A new wildfire along Westside Road near Bear Creek Provincial Park, Aug. 24, 2021.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/William Mastop

Smoke from the new wildfire burning along Westside Road along with smoke from a prescribed burn in the area as seen from Vernon, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED

— This story was updated at 1:40 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 to include new information from BC Wildfire and more photos.

— This story was updated at 1:54 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 with new information from the Central Okanagan emergency operations centre.

— This story was updated at 4:28 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 with new information from the Central Okanagan emergency operations centre.

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