Lake Country firefighters on scene of the Mount Christie wildfire.

Image Credit: District of Lake Country

A single family home was destroyed last night in the Christie Mountain wildfire on Christie Mountain Lane.

Photos of Lake Country firefighters lending a hand in the neighbourhood show a structure engulfed in flames last night. Erick Thompson, Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen information officer with the Emergency Operations Centre, said information was not previously released as the homeowners were not notified until this afternoon.

Regional district chair Karla Kozakevich and Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki each made a statement this afternoon on the status of the now 1,400 hectare wildfire, burning south of Penticton, Aug. 19.

Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki spears to reporters at a press conference Aug. 19 to update the community about the Christie Mountain wildfire.

(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)

The conference is available via the city's Facebook page. The video recording will also be posted on the RDOS and city YouTube channels.

Kozakevich said evacuation orders and alerts remain in effect for the regional district electoral area D and asked residents to stay clear of the affected areas, in particular Skaha Lake.

Evacuees in the regional district area staying in motor homes or in vehicles on the streets are asked to put signs in their windows to notify bylaw, said Thompson said.

There’s 110 evacuees currently registered for emergency support services, Thompson said.

With COVID-19, there have been challenges for evacuees to register and check-in at the RDOS evacuation centre, Kozakevich said, but it’s been going well and many evacuees have found places to stay with family and friends and the emergency centre continues to assist evacuees in finding places to stay in hotels and motels.

Thompson said he has heard of no reports of COVID-19 cases at the reception centre and noted that residents can pre-register online if they're already under an evacuation alert.

Penticton's evacuation alert also remains in effect. Vassilaki is currently under an evacuation alert himself and is not feeling happy about it.

“My wife is concerned, 51 years of history in our family, because that’s how long we’ve been married (is in that home). It will take a more than a day to pack it in a truck and take it (away),” Vassilaki said.

If Penticton residents need to be evacuated, there is the space for social distancing at the Penticton Community Centre, Vassilaki said.

“If we have to, we will put it back in service,” Vassilaki said, adding that it won’t fit everyone, but residents have relatives and friends in the area.

“I was offered a home by MLA Dan Ashton. I was offered to move into his mother’s home in case I need to be evacuated, so I’m taken care of,” he said.

There’s also a list of facilities in Summerland if residents need to evacuate, and the Penticton Emergency Operations Centre is working on finding hotels all the way north to Salmon Arm, said Donny Van Dyke, chief administrative officer with the city and in charge of the Penticton EOC.

“It may not be as close to home as we like, especially with COVID-19 protocols,” he said, adding IH has reached out and provided COVID-19 protocols for the emergency operations centre which are being followed.

- This story was updated Aug. 19, at 2:30 p.m. to provide additional details on the status of the home in the regional district.

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