VIDEO: The numbers of homes lost to fire are finally coming in, and it's bad

It's a smoky day on the firelines, but it's today that we are starting to get a clearer picture of how devastating the losses are going to be.

At the Monday morning Emergency Information session, West Kelowna Fire Chief gave the public some numbers for the first time.

Brolund prefaced his numerical estimate by pointing out the communities that remain fully intact.

He listed Smith Creek, Talus Ridge, Shannon Lake, the Lenz Road Trailer Park and Rose Valley, which have not suffered the loss of any homes.

But other areas of the community have.

Brolund offered up an estimate of 50.

"We know it's going to be at least 50," he said later, "that are either destroyed or damaged."

And he added that there are some neighbourhoods they are just getting to now.

"So that number will climb."

West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom heard the numbers with the rest of us.

"It's obviously very sad information," he said.

"Our hearts go out to those individuals who are impacted by the losses, or the damages that have been reported so far."

Mayor Milsom said, rebuilding affected communities will be a central task for the city for a long time.

"I know it's going to take a while, for recovery, but we're here to support any way we possibly can," he said.

And he was quick to point out that it could have been worse, if not for the efforts of firefighters from the community, the provincial wildfire service and fire departments around the province which have come to help.

"There's been a lot of homes that have been saved," said Milsom.

"But it doesn't take away from the anguish and the anxiety for those individuals who may not have a home to go back to."

On the east side of Okanagan Lake, the city of Kelowna counts five homes lost, Lake Country two or three.

North Westside Fire Rescue Chief Kotscherofski said a lot of assessment has yet to be done, but he offered what he could.

"Structural loss has been seen all the way up to Lake Okanagan Resort," said Kotscherofski.

"With the most heavily impacted in Traders Cove and Lake Okanagan Resort."

Those areas will add substantially to the tallies in the municipalities.

The good news is none of the areas have suffered any structural losses over the last 24 hours.

But as the numbers come in, it's hard even for community leaders to digest.

"The whole event was very shocking, traumatic, devastating for our community," said Mayor Milsom.

"But we'll get through this."