A count of 90 properties have been partially or fully damaged by the McDougall Creek wildfire in the North Westside.
Fire chief Ross Kotscherofski revealed the figure in a media briefing Wednesday, Aug. 23. He said the number of impacted properties includes those that have suffered mere landscaping damage, on top of properties that are a total loss.
The figure doesn’t reveal how many structures have been damaged by the blaze. Kotscherofski stressed that some properties, including the Lake Okanagan Resort, have multiple structures that could be damaged, and also highlighted one property that has nearly 195 units that could be impacted.
Kotcherofski said the firefighting effort was helped by rain that fell on the area Tuesday, as well as cooler temperatures.
“In the north we received rain and a lot of it. This with lower temperatures is going to really help with mopping up this fire,” he said.
Kotcherofski said the work his team and BC Wildfire Service is doing isn’t finished until hazard assessments are completed, “and we will do our best to get you that information and any changes as that becomes available.”
He thanked the Wilson’s Landing Fire Department for the work they have done to protect properties and manage the situation.
“Whether it’s administrative support, cleaning the fire hall or boots on the ground, they’ve done such an incredible job, and Wilson’s Landing is out here in full force.”
The McDougall Creek wildfire is currently estimated at 12,270 hectares, tracked Tuesday, when there were 571 firefighters assigned to the three major fires in the Central Okanagan.
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B.C. Wildfires 2023Fire evacuationNorth Okanagan Regional DistrictVernonwildfire
