INFORMATION RELEASE

BC Wildfire Service planned ignitions: Wednesday, August 2, 2023
Residents who have chosen to remain in areas under Evacuation ORDER are asked to stay clear of personnel in the field to allow them to conduct operations.

Information from BC Wildfire Service: As a follow up to the planned ignition information from this morning, the work on the west flank went well and is complete for the day. Work on the north flank is going to be extended around to the northeast corner of the fire and is planned to begin tomorrow morning. Crews will be starting on the northeast corner from the retardant line working off Highway 3 and will then work their way around to the north flank. This ignition operation will be an extension of the ignition operation that was initiated along the west flank of the fire.

Highway 3 may be partially closed as crews and equipment work off the highway to conduct operations. BC Wildfire is asking people to drive carefully along Highway 3 to make sure the crews and equipment working on the fire are safe.

For further information, please visit BCWildfire.com. 

BC Wildfire Camp at Keogan Sports Park in Okanagan Falls
Due to the presence of firefighting crews at Keogan Sports Park (1525 Cedar St.) in Okanagan Falls, residents and visitors will notice increased activity in the area. Vehicle access is currently restricted to local traffic only on the south end of Cedar Street adjacent to Keogan Park. Please avoid this area to allow crews safe access and egress to the site. Public access to the north end of Keogan Park is permitted. Thank you for your cooperation. 

Evacuation ORDER issued for Osoyoos Wildlife Federation
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Emergency Operations Centre (RDOS EOC) has issued an Evacuation Order for the Osoyoos Wildlife Federation, 14000 Strawberry Creek Road in Electoral Area “A”. The Order is effective at 3:30 pm on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. 

Watercraft and Drones
Watercraft can create safety issues from helicopters and planes accessing water from lakes. BC Wildfire and the RCMP have lines of communication and any issues arising from boaters on the lake are reported to the RCMP for investigation. Drones are not permitted to be flown near an active wildfire as they pose a risk to low flying aircraft. Residents and visitors are asked to be aware and not interfere with fire fighting efforts. 

If you are under an Evacuation ORDER, you must leave the area immediately.
Residents and visitors are reminded to avoid all areas under Evacuation ORDER due to the threat to life safety. Remaining in areas under an Evacuation ORDER poses a danger to you and firefighting crews. This includes residents who may choose to leave the area if conditions worsen. This is especially dangerous during aerial operations and planned ignitions. 

If you require support, including food or lodging, please contact Emergency Support Services (ESS) at 250-486-1890.

Update to Evacuation ALERTS and ORDERS
Please check the interactive map to confirm the status of your property: emergency.rdos.bc.ca 

Effective Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at noon, the Evacuation Alert is RESCINDED for properties East of Highway 97 in Osoyoos and areas within the RDOS south of the Town of Osoyoos.

Please monitor official sources for the latest updates.

• emergency.rdos.bc.ca
• osoyoos.ca
• BCWildfire.com
• DriveBC.ca

Welcome Back packages with information on re-entry are being distributed. Please see link below.

Welcome Back residents impacted by Eagle Bluff wildfire

Areas remaining on Evacuation ORDER:

• The Osoyoos Industrial Park in the Town of Osoyoos
• All properties south of Highway 3 from the Town of Osoyoos boundaries to Nighthawk Road in Electoral Area “B”
• Parts of Electoral Areas “A” and “B” including the Kilpoola and Spotted Lake areas south of Highway 3 

Properties under Evacuation ALERT and ORDER current as of August 2, 2023, 4:00 pm:

Evacuation ALERT RDOS: 482
Evacuation ORDER RDOS: 143

Evacuation ORDER RDOS: 144 (includes 14000 Strawberry Creek Road)

Evacuation ALERT Osoyoos: 487
Evacuation ORDER Osoyoos: 48

For the latest updates on Evacuation ALERTS and ORDERS, please visit emergency.rdos.bc.ca. 

Emergency Support Services (ESS)
The ESS Reception Centre at the Oliver Community Centre located (6359 Park Dr. in Oliver) is closed and is not scheduled to open on Thursday, August 3, 2023. If you are under Evacuation Alert or Order, please register online at ess.gov.bc.ca or call 250-486-1890.

Highways
For the latest updates on local highways, visit DriveBC.ca

Voyent Alert! Notifications
Click here to register for routine and emergency notifications via email, text, or telephone. 

You can also find a link to Voyent Alert! on the RDOS website: www.rdos.bc.ca. For further information, please call the EOC at 250-490-4225. In the case of an emergency, call 9-1-1.

FireSmart
Whether you are doing regular yard maintenance or making large scale changes during renovations or landscaping, you can make choices that will help protect your home from wildfire. 

For more information, please visit RDOS Community FireSmart at:  https://firesmart.rdos.bc.ca

Disaster Psychosocial Team
If you require support, please call the Disaster Psychosocial Team toll-free at 1-888-686-3022 or Wellness Together Canada at 1-866-585-0445.

Issued by EOC Director