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July 17, 2017 - 6:30 PM
OKANAGAN - With close to 200 fires burning in B.C., evacuees are being told to report to emergency centres throughout the province including here in the Okanagan.
Emergency Management B.C. has requested various Regional Districts to set up Emergency Support Service reception centres to accomodate the influx of residents forced to flee from their homes.
Officials are reminding all evacuees needing assistance they need to register at a reception centre - which are set up in all three major Okanagan cities - before heading to a lodging centre.
In Vernon, a reception centre is set up at the Dogwood Gym, in the Vernon Recreation Centre at 3310 37 Ave. Two group lodging sites have also been set up at the Civic Arena and the Vernon Curling Rink, however evacuees need to register before going to a lodging centre. So far, 248 evacuees from Williams Lake and other areas affected by the wildfires have registered, according to the City of Vernon.
In Kelowna, the Emergency Support Services reception centre is set up at 1480 Sutherland Ave. and is open between the hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For those evacuees traveling to Penticton, their reception centre is at the Penticton Community Centre, located at 325 Power St.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2017