If you stand on the Bennett Bridge and look south this morning, it appears to be a normal summer morning, but that couldn’t be further from the case.
Turn 180° and look north, and you’ll see an apocalyptic scene on both sides of Okanagan Lake.
A large plume of dark smoke is hovering over the northern section of Kelowna, where two fires sparked late Thursday night and prompted a flurry of evacuations.
It’s still unknown whether those fires were a result of the McDougall Creek wildfire jumping the lake from West Kelowna, which is still producing plenty of smoke as it burns this morning.
Officials confirmed overnight that the McDougall Creek wildfire resulted in structural loss, something that was already apparent from photos and videos of homes burning in Traders Cove.
Central Okanagan Emergency Operations (CORD) promised a detailed update at 10 am today, after a full assessment could be completed this morning.
While structural loss has been confirmed in West Kelowna, it’s still not clear whether homes were damaged on the Kelowna side of Okanagan Lake.
Nearly 2,500 properties remain under an evacuation order in West Kelowna, with 4,800 more on alert this morning.
Hundreds more were evacuated or told to be ready to leave on short notice in Kelowna overnight, but the exact numbers are not clear at this time.
Click here to see a map of active evacuation orders and alerts for the Central Okanagan fires.
Evacuees are being told to register online and are encouraged to find temporary lodging with family and friends if possible.
Reception centres in West Kelowna, Kelowna and Vernon closed for the night at 2 am, but an overnight shelter centre opened at Prospera Place for those who needed it.
It was a long, sleepless night for many after a harrowing and frightening day in the Central Okanagan, but the danger is far from over.
More wind is expected to blow through the valley today as fires on both sides of the bridge remain out of control. The fear is that those winds will blow to the south and push fires into more homes and businesses.
Click here to see our in depth story on the McDougall Creek wildfire and here to see our story on the Kelowna fires that sparked late Thursday night.
Head to KelownaNow.com throughout the day for all the latest on the horrific wildfire situation in the valley.
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