A crane stands in the middle of a fire-ravaged Glenmore Road construction site on Thursday, April 8. (Aaron Hemens - Capital News)

Evacuation order remains in effect around burned Kelowna construction site

Assessment of potentially risky crane to take place this afternoon

  • Apr. 12, 2021 12:00 a.m.

Nearly a week after a fire ripped through a Glenmore Road construction site, neighbouring homes remain under an evacuation order as the structural integrity of a possibly damaged crane is still to be determined.

Flames destroyed the construction site last Tuesday (April 6), leaving a precarious crane that prompted emergency officials to order evacuation for homes within a 300-foot radius of the site at the intersection of Glenmore Road and Union Avenue.

Sandra Follack, the Central Okanagan Regional District emergency program coordinator, said an assessment of the crane should happen Monday afternoon (April 12). The assessment will determine whether the crane is safe or it needs to be taken down.

“As soon as we understand what the status of the crane is … then I’ll be able to figure out when I can release the order,” Follack told the Capital News Monday morning.

The long wait, Follack said, is because a specialist needs to come in to take a look. Due to the nature of the crane, only a few people in the province are qualified to assess it.

Traffic and pedestrian walkway closures remain in effect in the area.

Follack said another update should be coming this afternoon from the emergency operations centre.

READ MORE: Evacuation order issued due to risk of crane collapse near Glenmore construction fire

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