Hundreds more residents on the west side of Okanagan Lake allowed to return home

Evacuation orders on more than 600 properties in the Central Okanagan regional district, along with more on Okanagan Indian band lands, were amended last night after rains cooled the White Rock Lake wildfire.

The evacuation order was changed to an alert for properties from 6916 Barcelona Dr. East to 7355 North Westside Rd. in the Fintry, La Casa and Shalal Road areas, according to a news release from the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre.

The 15 properties remaining on evacuation alert:

• 3713 to 3725 Emerald Road
• 3658 to 3760 Gates Road
• 3250 Highway 97
• 3704 to 3770 Turnbull Road

For the very latest on evacuation alerts and orders go to the Central Okanagan EOC website here.

READ MORE: Most West Kelowna residents evacuated by Mount Law wildfire can return home

The Okanagan Indian Band Emergency Operations Centre has partially rescinded the evacuation order for the areas north of Louis Estates up to Irish Creek Road. It doesn’t say how many properties are affected.

For more details and a list of those properties still under evacuation orders, go here.

“Returning residents are reminded that they may encounter various hazards on private properties as a result of the forest fire,” the Central Okanagan regional district release states. “Burnt trees with little or no limbs have limited structural support and may fall at any time. Burning root structures leave the surrounding ground unstable and extremely hot.”

Electricity may still be out in some areas so some food in fridges and freezers may not be fit to eat.

More information on returning home safely is available here.

READ MORE: UPDATE: Emergency officials now say 70 structures destroyed on west side of Okanagan Lake

— This story was updated at 11:38 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021 with updated information.

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