14.52°C Vancouver

Sep 29, 2023 5:50 PM - The Canadian Press

People of West Kelowna relieved, state of emergency lifted

Share On
people-of-west-kelowna-relieved-state-of-emergency-lifted
West Kelowna was put under the state of emergency on Aug. 16 as the 139 square kilometre McDougall Creek fire destroyed or damaged nearly 190 properties.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

Central Okanagan Emergency Operations has lifted the state of local emergency in West Kelowna, B.C., more than a month after the McDougall Creek wildfire devastated the area.

It says it has also rescinded all remaining evacuation orders stemming from the blaze.

West Kelowna was put under the state of emergency on Aug. 16 as the 139 square kilometre McDougall Creek fire destroyed or damaged nearly 190 properties.

The wildfire forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 properties and put another 10,000 homes on alert, with about 50,000 residents impacted by various orders and advisories.

In a statement, the operations centre says the blaze "affected every community" in the region ranging from the Westbank First Nation and the City of Kelowna to the districts of Peachland and Lake Country.

About half of the 400 structures or homes destroyed in B.C.'s record-breaking fire season so far have been lost in the Kelowna area.

Latest news

bc-govt-recognizes-significant-concern-regarding-the-ongoing-extortion-attempts
BCJun 13, 2025

BC govt. recognizes significant concern regarding the ongoing extortion attempts

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Garry Begg has released the following statement amid community concerns about public safety while extortion threats and organized crime stories are making headlines. “We recognize the significant concern within the South Asian community regarding the ongoing extortion attempts by organized criminals. “Recently, the Delta Police Department, with assistance from the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team and the Peel Regional Police arrested two suspects in the murder case of an individual in Brampton, who was a victim of extortion. This ser
vancouver-police-seek-suspect-in-west-side-break-ins
CanadaJun 13, 2025

Vancouver Police seek suspect in West-side break-ins

Vancouver Police are sharing images of a suspect in multiple early-morning break-ins on the city’s west-side, and encourage people to lock their doors and windows to prevent additional crimes. “We are actively working to identify and arrest this suspect, who is linked to break-ins throughout Marpole, Kerrisdale, Arbutus Ridge, Oakridge and Shaunghnessey,” says Constable Tania Visintin. “Until we find him, we’re asking people to take extra precautions and to call police immediately if you encounter him.” The suspect, believed to be an Asian man in his 30s, has struck 16 times since
over-the-past-six-months-there-have-been-10-reports-of-extortion-in-surrey
CanadaJun 13, 2025

Over the past six months, there have been 10 reports of extortion in Surrey

Following a number of extortions being reported to police in Surrey, Surrey Police Service (SPS) and the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit (SPOSU) are working to advance these investigations and determine any linkages. SPS and SPOSU are also meeting regularly with other regional police agencies who have similar investigations and they are in contact with the RCMP National Coordination and Support Team (NCST), which is providing national coordination and tools to help advance extortion investigations. Numerous police agencies in Canada have reported that individuals or businesse
jagmeet-singhs-brother-says-canadians-warned-about-risk-to-their-life-deserve-protection
CanadaJun 13, 2025

Jagmeet Singh's brother says Canadians warned about risk to their life deserve protection

The brother of former federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who has been active in Canadian politics for many years, has demanded that Canadians who have been warned of a threat to their lives should be provided with security. Gurrattan Singh raised this issue after Sikh Organization of Canada spokesperson Balpreet Singh told a press conference yesterday that dozens of Sikh Canadians are currently on active duty to warm. This notice is given by the police to alert a person when they suspect a credible threat. Gurrattan Singh said that immediate steps should be taken to provide security to those
police-seeking-witnesses-after-uptown-assault
CanadaJun 13, 2025

Police seeking witnesses after Uptown assault

The New Westminster Police Department is seeking witnesses and encouraging victims to come forward following an incident in the Uptown neighbourhood on the evening of Saturday, June 7 at approximately 6:20pm. Officers responded to reports of a man chasing people and throwing objects at members of the public. Witnesses shared the man ripped off a tree branch and struck several people with it. The suspect was located by officers near the New Westminster Public Library and arrested. “This may have been a frightening experience for those who witnessed it or were directly impacted,” stated Serg

Related News