News Release No. 69            

Date:   Wednesday September 3, 2003       

Time:   3:00 p.m.

 

RECOVERY CENTRE INFO LINES:                        869-0386

                                                                                      868-2632

                                                                                      868-2605

BC FOREST SERVICE FIRE INFORMATION:      1 888 336-7378

_______________________________________________

 

EVACUATION ALERT AREA REDUCED IN SIZE

 

The B.C. Fire Commissioner’s Office has changed the boundaries of the Evacuation Alert area now in effect in Kelowna as a result of the Okanagan Mountain Park forest fire.

The Evacuation Alert has been lifted for residents north of Barnaby Road, north east of Crawford Road, north of Saucier Road and Spiers Road and north east of the intersection of McCulloch Road and Gulley Road.

Approximately 9,250 residents in the Joe Rich, Gallagher’s Canyon, Uplands/Okaview, Kettle Valley and Crawford Estates areas, as well as around Hydraulic (McCulloch) Lake, remain under Evacuation Alert. They should be prepared to leave their homes on short notice should the Okanagan Mountain Park forest fire threaten their neighbourhoods.

The new Evacuation Alert area falls within the following boundaries (only the south or east sides of the following roads are included):
From Okanagan Lake east to Barnaby Road to the west side of Westridge Dirve, to include all of the Crawford Estates subdivision and along Crawford Road crossing Stewart Road West and along the east side of Stewart Road West to Saucier Road and along the south side of Saucier Road north and east to Spiers Road to June Springs Road and following Gulley Road to McCullough Road on the south side turning north 100 metres east of Mahonia Drive to include all of Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Course and subdivision and following the west side of Gallagher’s to Mission Creek. Then following the south side of Mission Creek to the City of Kelowna boundary; east on Highway 33 including five kilometres on the north of Highway 33 East until you reach the east border of the Regional District of the Central Okanagan; following the Regional District border south and west back to Okanagan Lake not including those areas currently under Evacuation Order.

Approximately 70 residents who live outside the City’s eastern boundary at the south end of June Springs Road remain on Evacuation Order as the leading edge of the fire could threaten their homes if south winds prevail.