(UPDATE: April 20 @ 5 am) - FortisBC says gas service has been restored to the vast majority of customers affected by a recent outage in Lake Country and North Kelowna, with crews working to complete the final connections.
The utility said about 6,200 customers were initially impacted by the outage, but as of late Sunday afternoon more than 5,950 had their service restored.
Crews are continuing work to relight appliances for the remaining roughly 250 customers, with efforts expected to continue into the evening and resume again Monday morning.
The Central Okanagan Emergency Management said it has now deactivated the Emergency Operations Centre set up for the outage.
FortisBC says relighting is the final stage of the restoration process and requires technicians to visit each property in person to safely turn gas back on and restart appliances.
Customers are being told not to attempt to relight appliances themselves. If no one is home when crews arrive, a notice will be left with instructions on how to arrange a return visit.
The utility says about 60 staff, including crews from across the province, have been involved in the restoration effort.
Officials are also reminding residents to avoid using outdoor equipment indoors while waiting for service to return, due to the risk of carbon monoxide exposure.
FortisBC says anyone who smells gas or hears a hissing sound should leave immediately and call 911 or its emergency line.
(UPDATE: April 18 @ 2 pm) - The last stage of safely restoring gas service to around 6,200 properties in Lake Country and North Kelowna is ongoing this weekend.
That final step is gas relights for all affected FortisBC customers, which around 60 staff are working methodically to get through as efficiently as possible.
According to FortisBC, around 3,500 relights have been completed as of 1 pm Saturday, which means the process is more than halfway done.
Relights will continue until 10 pm tonight before resuming for the final stretch Sunday morning.
"Crews will continue working through the weekend until all customers have their service restored," FortisBC promised in an update. "We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate our customers’ patience as this work continues."
Here's an explanation of the process from FortisBC: "When a technician arrives, if you are home, they will turn your gas back on at the meter and relight your appliances for you. If you are not home, a door tag will be left with instructions on how to request a return visit. For safety reasons, customers should not turn on their gas meter or relight appliances. A technician will come to your home and safely complete this work."
(UPDATE: April 17 @ 11:10 am) - FortisBC says gas relights are now underway in the Central Okanagan as crews work furiously to restore service to around 6,200 customers affected by an outage since Wednesday night.
"Restoring gas service requires several steps that must be completed carefully to ensure safety," a FortisBC update explained. "Technicians must visit each property twice to complete the restoration process."
There are around 60 staff working on the ground to support these efforts, which includes several crew members from across British Columbia.
A District of Lake Country statement urged residents to give the crews a wave of high five for their efforts to get gas service restored as quickly as possible.
(UPDATE: April 16 @ 1:45 pm) - FortisBC says there are over 40 crews on the ground in the Central Okanagan in relation to the significant gas outage currently affecting around 6,200 customers.
They'll soon be joined by additional support crews from across British Columbia.
Their first task will be to shut off over 6,000 gas meters, which FortisBC calls "a critical step in restoring gas service to Lake Country and North Kelowna."
"Please make sure that access to your gas meters are clear so crews can complete shut offs quickly and safely," urged FortisBC in an update shared late this morning.
It's expected to take several days to fully restore service to all affected customers.
(Original story: April 16 @ 6 am) - A natural gas outage is affecting thousands of customers in Lake Country and North Kelowna, prompting the activation of local emergency supports.
Central Okanagan Emergency Management says about 6,200 customers are without service, including areas in Lake Country, Kelowna and the Okanagan Indian Band.
An Emergency Operations Centre has been activated at Level 1, and a warming centre opened at 9 p.m. at the Oyama Community Club on Oyama Road to assist affected residents.
FortisBC says crews have isolated the outage area and are working on a restoration plan, but warned it could take several days to fully restore service.
The utility says crews will need to visit each home and business to safely turn gas back on and relight appliances, and additional crews have been brought in to help.
Residents are being reminded not to use outdoor equipment such as barbecues, camping stoves or generators indoors due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
FortisBC says anyone who smells gas or hears a hissing sound should leave immediately and call 911 or its emergency line.
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