The White Rock Lake wildfire, Aug. 6, 2021.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Kane Blake
August 07, 2021 - 5:03 PM
Vernon’s mayor wants residents to stay away from the White Rock Lake wildfire as a convoy of vehicles was seen heading towards the fire.
“Our main concern has been a number of people wanting to go out and look at the fire,” said Mayor Victor Cumming.
A "steady convoy" of vehicles were seen using Tronson Road and Eastside Road well into the night, which could have created a challenge for fire crews if they needed to move quickly, he said.
Traffic control has been implemented on Okanagan Landing Road and at the intersection of Bella Vista Road and Tronson Road to “try and stem the tide of people,” Cumming said.
He said he was surprised by the number of people trying to look at the fire and is asking people to avoid areas where the wildfire is burning.
The White Rock Lake wildfire is burning roughly 34 kilometres away from the city, and has reached 55,000 hectares in size.
Last night, the fire’s growth prompted evacuation orders in the Regional District of the Central Okanagan and on Okanagan Indian Band IR #1. Many more orders and alerts remain in effect for surrounding regional districts as well as the City of Kamloops, Spallumcheen and Chase. An evacuation alert for Armstrong has been rescinded.
An evacuation alert was put in place yesterday for most of Vernon, but the alert has since been rescinded this afternoon, excluding Canadian Lakeview Estates, Adventure Bay, and Tronson Road from 8125 to 9280.
READ MORE: Vernon partially rescinds evacuation alert in place due to wildfire
Recreational vehicle parking for White Rock Lake fire evacuees is currently available at any of the three School District No. 22 elementary schools: Beairsto Elementary, WL Seaton High School and
BX Elementary.
For more information on the evacuee locations, visit the city’s website.
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