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.
The large wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes in West Kelowna, B.C., and was a key front in the province's most devastating fire season on record is now considered "held" after raging out of control since mid-August.
Wildfire behaviour in British Columbia received a late-summer boost from higher than normal temperatures and lower than normal rainfall, especially in the north, and provincial officials say dry conditions are expected well into the fall.
Annick deGooyer knew that her family's home of more than 20 years had been destroyed by the McDougall Creek wildfire that consumed scores of properties in West Kelowna, B.C., about three weeks ago.
People whose homes were destroyed by the wildfire in and around West Kelowna, B.C., are being contacted to schedule escorted bus visits to view the damage.
Officials in British Columbia's Shuswap and Okanagan regions are shifting some of their attention from wildfire response to the challenges of recovery as flames abate and many evacuees begin returning home, although crews continue to fight out-of-control blazes.
The last travel restriction for the Okanagan region in British Columbia has been lifted alongside all previous evacuation orders within Kelowna's city limits, as wildfires there diminish after this week's rainfall.
Firefighters in British Columbia's southern Interior continue to battle a number of major blazes, having been aided by ample rainfall that fell on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, over the Okanagan and Shuswap regions.
When Walter Roos was planning for the ceremony over Zoom where he would become a Canadian citizen, he expected to attend in business attire while at home in Popkum, B.C., east of Chilliwack.