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Most Eneas evacs lifted

Colton Davies

UPDATE: 7:35 p.m.

At the start of Saturday, 113 properties were emptied due to the Mount Eneas wildfire, and now only 30 properties are still evacuated. Those are in the Garnet Valley area of Summerland — the only evacuations currently in place in the Okanagan.

The wildfire was mapped at 1,374 hectares on Friday night, and no growth has been recorded since then.

Fire information officer Noelle Kekula says some growth will likely happen, but adds crews have had success holding the fire.

"Anything is still a possibility, right? The hot, dry trend is coming. But as we can see it's holding in our control lines."

While many evacuations have been rescinded, there are just under 900 properties still on evacuation alert due to the Mount Eneas wildfire. Of those, 698 are in the Central Okanagan Regional District and 200 more are in the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen and District of Summerland.

No structures have been impacted by the Mount Eneas wildfire or any other fires burning in the Okanagan, the BC Wildfire Service says.


UPDATE: 5:30 p.m.

The evacuation alert for the remaining 69 properties in West Kelowna's Glenrosa area has been rescinded, as fire crews get a good handle on the 10-hectare Law Creek wildfire. 

Friday morning, an evacuation alert was put in place for 198 homes in the area, as heavy winds kicked up fire behaviour on the Law Creek fire, but the alert for all but 69 homes was rescinded by that afternoon. 

There are now no more alerts or orders in place for the Law Creek fire. 


UPDATE: 3:35 p.m.

More evacuees are returning home today, after the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen rescinded its evacuation order for all homes east of the Mount Eneas fire, including homes on Callan Road, North Beach Road, Greata Ranch and the Okanagan Lake Provincial Park campground. 

The downgrading of the evacuation order comes just two hours after the Regional District of the Central Okanagan rescinded its evacuation order for the Brent Road neighbourhood. 

The RDOS has kept an evacuation order in place for the area west of Highway 97, north of Okanagan Lake Provincial Park, but there are no homes in this area. Access remains restricted here though, as the wildfire is still active. 

The District of Summerland still has evacuation orders in place for homes in the Garnet Valley area.


UPDATE: 1:30 p.m.

Some more good news from the fire front Saturday as the evacuation order for 38 homes in the Brent Road neighbourhood, south of Peachland, has been rescinded Saturday afternoon.

The evacuation was ordered Wednesday night, after the Mount Eneas fire began encroaching on the block.

Thursday, the Peachland and West Kelowna fire departments were called to the road to help protect the homes from the threatening fire.

The rescinding of the evacuation order comes after a positive day on the fire lines across the Valley Friday.

While residents of the Brent Road homes, east of the fire, can now return home, the Finlay Creek cabins, located west of the fire were put on an evacuation alert Saturday afternoon, suggesting the 1,374-hectare fire is moving west.

Additionally, the District of Summerland rescinded an evacuation order for two homes on Callan Road, east of the large fire, Saturday, but added a single home to their evacuation alert – 951 Meadow Valley Road, east of the fire.

All the homes that were taken off evacuation orders remain on evacuation alert.


ORIGINAL: 10:55 a.m.

Despite calmer fire behaviour across the Okanagan over the past 24 hours, 113 homes remain evacuated, all due to the 1,374 hectares Mount Eneas wildfire.

Due to the sheer size of the fire, the evacuated homes fall under the jurisdiction of the Regional District of Central Okanagan, Regional District of Okanagan-Similikameen and the District of Summerland

Saturday morning, the RDOS said they would be determining the current risk to the 43 evacuated properties under their jurisdiction, and reassessing the evacuation orders. These properties are along Okanagan Lake, and include homes on Callan Road and North Beach Road.

West of the fire, in the Meadow Valley area, 49 homes were placed on evacuation alert Friday night, suggesting the fire may be growing in that direction.

Meanwhile, 32 properties remain on an evacuation order from the District of Summerland in the Garnet Valley area, south of the fire, while an additional 105 homes are on alert in the area.

Farther south, the Penticton's Indian Band's evacuation alert for 13 homes due to the Mount Conkle wildfire remains in effect. 

To the north, the RDCO has 38 homes still under an evacuation order in the Brent Road neighbourhood, along Highway 97.

Axelle Bazett with the RDCO Emergency Operations Centre says they are continually monitoring the situation, but can't provide a timeframe for when residents may be allowed to return home, as the fire remains very much active.

The evacuation order for three homes along Log Chute Road near Antlers Beach Thursday night were rescinded Friday, but an alert remains in effect for almost 600 homes in the area south of Princeton Avenue.

In West Kelowna's Glenrosa area, 69 homes remain under an evacuation alert, due to the Law Creek wildfire, down from the 198 homes under the original alert issued Friday morning. 

The BC Wildfire Service says no homes have been impacted by any of the fires across the Valley.



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