Evacuation order expands for fire burning on west side of B.C.’s Okanagan lake

Officials have expanded an evacuation order related to an out-of-control wildfire burning on the west side of Okanagan Lake.

The Central Okanagan Regional District on Monday ordered anyone in the Caesars Landing area, about 25 kilometres north of Kelowna, B.C., to leave due to the Quilpituk Creek wildfire.

That fire, discovered on Saturday, was last measured at two square kilometres, and has forced the evacuation of more than 2,200 properties in the area.

It’s the latest evacuation to stem from explosive fire growth that saw more than 5,000 people forced from their homes across the province over the weekend.

More than 5,000 people evacuated as Okanagan Lake wildfires grow

Further north on Okanagan Lake, thousands of people have also been evacuated from the main reserve of the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB), the township of Spallumcheen and the Splatsin First Nation due to the Bradley Creek wildfire.

The 26-square-kilometre fire doubled in size over the weekend amid powerful winds.

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In an update on Sunday, OKIB Chief Dan Wilson said officials still don’t know the extent of damage in the community, and that there was no timeline to return.

“The fire is still active. Firefighters are still working in areas that remain dangerous. There are places where crews still can’t safely get in,” he said.

In its own Sunday update, B.C. Hydro said the fire had caused “extensive damage” to its equipment, knocking out power to thousands of customers in the Okanagan.

Extreme wind and lightning led to aggressive wildfire behaviour in other parts of southern B.C. over the weekend, further challenging wildfire crews.

The massive Pear Lake wildfire, which is threatening the communities of Clinton and 70 Mile House, grew to 1,152 square kilometres in size, while to the northwest, the French Bar Creek fire expanded to 371 square kilometres.

Across the province, there were 131 wildfires burning on Monday morning.