UPDATE (9 p.m.): According to Central Okanagan Emergency Operations, the Bear Creek fire is now 60 per cent contained. The remaining evacuation alerts and orders will stay in effect over night and the RCMP will be patrolling the area.
The Emergency Support Services Reception Centre at Lions Hall in West Kelowna will be closed Monday night and will reopen Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.
Original Story:
An evacuation order for 51 homes in the Bear Creek area has been downgraded to an evacuation alert.
Those who live along Bear Creek Road, north of the Parkinson Road, on Dougmac, Rose Valley and Petterson Roads, can now go home, but should remain prepared in case another evacuation order is called out.
The 14 properties in the Pine Point subdivision remain on evacuation alert and should also be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
There is still an evacuation order in effect for 105 properties in Traders Cove and Bear Creek Provincial Park as four fire crews continue to work on the active fire.
Central Okanagan Emergency Operations announced late Monday afternoon that campers evacuated from Bear Creek Provincial Park will be temporarily allowed into the campsite to remove their possessions, vehicles and trailers until 8 p.m.
Access will also be available for some time Tuesday morning starting at 8 a.m.
Campers must access the campground from West Kelowna and will be escorted into the park by the RCMP and Campground staff.
Bear Creek Provincial Park is still under an evacuation order and Westside Road remains closed between Bear Creek Provincial Park and Traders Cove.
On Monday, KelownaNow toured the fire scene and was given more information on the fire, which caused the evacuation of 156 homes Sunday night.
"What we found was an incredibly large and quickly growing fire,” West Kelowna Fire and Rescue Chief Jason Brolund said of responding after the late 911 call.
Fire fighters from West Kelowna, North West Side, Wilson's Landing, Peachland and the City of Kelowna all responded.
Brolund said it was the "perfect storm," with wind, fire on both sides of the road and downed power lines obstructing the path of fire trucks.
The fire was a rank five for a time, burning as high as the tops of the trees.
"So we were severely limited trying to get to the other side of the fire,” Brolund explained.
BC Hydro came in at the height of the fire and moved power lines so they could get through.
Crews immediately set to ensuring that the fires around the homes were out, which they are still focused on. They are also working with BC Hydro to get the power grid restored in the neighbourhood.
So far, no homes have been lost in Trader's Cove, although a couple of sheds and outer buildings were damaged.
Twenty-six personnel are still working against the blaze.
They have not determined the cause of the fire, though they have ruled out lightning as a possible cause.
Melissa Klassen, fire information officer with the Kamloops Fire Centre, over 46 BC Wildfire Service crew members are now on the scene, with four skimmer air crafts and one bird dog aircraft in the air.
There are also additional helicopter support to assist ground crews in containment.
She said, one of the biggest challenges of the call coming in so late was that it was too dark for the planes to go up.
Currently, they are still in initial attack status, but they estimate that the fire is about 30 per cent contained.
Although it is now 52.5 hectares in size, Klassen said there was only minimal growth Monday, as most of the growth happened over Sunday night.
A glimmer of hope seemed to appear with some rain Sunday night and on-and-off Monday.
"It will definitely aid our efforts in containing this fire,” Klassen said.
As of Monday afternoon, crews are busy reinforcing guard lines and containment lines, hose laying and checking for dangerous trees that could fall.
Related Stories:
West Kelowna evacuees still waiting to return home
Bear Creek wildfire grows to 52 hectares
Boil water advisory issued for residents near Bear Creek
No homes lost in Bear Creek wildfire
Several wildfires burning in the Okanagan
Wildfire burning at Bear Creek
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