With two wildfires burning out of control on the west side of Okanagan Lake, North Okanagan politicians are asking tourists to stay away from the area, at the same time a Kelowna tourism association says the city is still open to welcome visitors.

A couple of days after the Bradley Creek wildfire started, Vernon–Lumby MLA Harwinder Sandhu took to social media asking people not to visit the North Okanagan.

“If you are planning on coming to the North Okanagan region please change your plans so our community can deal with the situation and support people who are in dire need,” Sandhu said in a social media post, Aug. 2.

City of Vernon councillor Kelly Fehr put out a similar message.

“With hotels full, there were few options for people seeking a place to stay. It would be very helpful for tourists and visitors to free up hotel rooms for those who need it the most,” Fehr posted.

Their messages contrast with Kelowna Tourism.

“While evacuation alerts, orders and some road closures are in place in localized areas, Kelowna and the broader Central Okanagan remain open and accessible, and tourism and hospitality businesses continue to welcome visitors,” Kelowna Tourism told iNFOnews.ca in an emailed statement.

The tourism association said safety remains its primary concern, and visitors planning to visit the Central Okanagan should base their decision based on verified information from emergency officials.

“We recognize that every traveller’s circumstances and comfort level are different. Some people may choose to adjust their plans, while others may decide to continue with their visit,” Kelowna Tourism’s statement read.

Burning on the west side of Okanagan Lake, the Quilpituk Creek wildfire is 742 hectares and classified as out of control. It’s roughly 25 kilometres north of West Kelowna.

Four times the size and further north on the west side of Okanagan Lake, the 2,852-hectare Bradley Creek wildfire is also classified as out of control. The Okanagan Indian Band said as many as 230 homes have been lost in the fire.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, about 7,300 properties, roughly 8,000 people, are on evacuation order across the province. The Ministry didn’t have the precise numbers of those evacuated by the Bradley Creek and Quilpituk Creek fires.

Vernon Quality Inn and Suites manager Vinil Sood estimated the hotel is currently hosting around 20 evacuees.

His message followed suit with the politicians.

“If tourists can… postpone their trip by a week or so then that would be a good option for them to do so,” Sood said. “That would also help alleviate booking rooms for the evacuees.”

Sood said the hotel has specifically put rooms aside this week for evacuees that may turn up on its doorstep with nowhere to go. The 62-room hotel can sleep four per room, and Sood said they can also put cots in rooms if needed. Dogs and cats are welcome.

The hotel manager said he’s experienced hosting evacuees during the 2021 and 2023 wildfire season. He urges other hotels to follow suit and put rooms aside for those on evacuation orders.

While the situation with the fires remains fluid, Sood said tourists seem to have gotten used to smoke, and wildfires and people seem more likely to travel regardless.

“Vernon isn’t the only place that’s experiencing smoke… we have fires in the area, but a lot of our guests are from BC and Alberta, and they’re also getting smoke in their area as well,” he said.

And hotel rooms do appear to be filling up. At midday, Aug. 4, internet booking sites showed vacancies for numerous hotels in Vernon. By 5 p.m. that day, only two had rooms.

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association did not reply to iNFOnews.ca’s request for comment by deadline.