THE LATEST:
Emergency crews have counted nearly 200 homes and structures that have been lost or damaged by the wildfires burning in the Kelowna, B.C., area, officials revealed Tuesday. The Regional District of the Central Okanagan said notifying affected homeowners would be a priority throughout the day in West Kelowna, the Westbank First Nation and surrounding areas.
West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund acknowledged the heartbreak many are facing in his community, but also noted there’s no sign anyone perished in the city’s evacuation zones. Members of the Canada Task Force 1 used dog teams to conduct targeted searches of evacuated areas, and didn’t locate anyone who had been left behind.
“To the best of our knowledge at this time, there has been no loss of life and there are no missing persons outstanding from the fire,” Brolund said at a news conference Tuesday. “That’s very encouraging news for all of us.”
Any potential missing persons cases should be reported to the RCMP, Brolund added.
Around 90 properties were either fully or partially lost in West Kelowna, with fewer than 20 others affected in the Westbank First Nation, according to the fire chief.
“I hope that provides the public with some of the scope and scale of what we’re dealing with,” Brolund said.
Three property owners in the City of Kelowna and three in the District of Lake Country had already been contacted by Tuesday morning to confirm they suffered “significant structural damage,” the RDCO’s emergency operations centre said in a news release. Officials are still working to notify one additional property owner in Kelowna.
Around 100 additional homes and structures were lost throughout the regional district, according to officials.
Thousands of people remain under evacuation orders throughout the area, but Loyal Wooldridge, chairperson of the RDCO, said crews are working “around the clock” to clear away hazards so evacuees can return home safely. As neighbours begin learning whether they have a home to return to, Wooldridge urged affected communities to support one another. “Unfortunately, the most challenging days are not behind us,” he said. “What I know is our region’s strength is unwavering, and we will be there for one another. And remember, united as a region we will recover, rebuild and restore.” Province-wide, more than 27,000 people remain displaced due to wildfires, with another 35,000 under evacuation alerts, meaning they must be prepared to leave on short notice. Source:bc.ctvnews.ca/
Wildfires:
B.C. has longer hot seasons, warmer year-round weather and more drought. These changes in the climate are making it easier for wildfires to start and spread.
Impacts of frequent and severe wildfires
Future risks of wildfires in B.C.
B.C. is taking action
Emergency preparedness and information
Impacts of frequent and severe wildfires
Wildfires are unplanned and uncontrolled fires in natural areas, like forests and grasslands.
B.C. has always experienced wildfires.
Wildfires can be important to the lifecycles of natural areas. They clear out dead plants, creating space for new plants to grow.
New growth helps feed animals. Some plants, like pine trees, need fire to open their pinecones and release seeds. When fires happen more often and burn hotter, natural areas don’t always have time to recover.
A cycle of impact
Pests, like the mountain pine beetle, usually die out during the coldest winter months. With warmer winters, this isn’t happening. These pests damage and kill trees, making forests burn easily and quickly when a fire starts.
Healthy forests store climate-changing carbon and keep it out of the atmosphere. When we lose forests to wildfires, they release a large amount of carbon into the air. Human activity also releases lots of carbon into the air. Over time, all this carbon builds up and causes hotter temperatures, which causes more wildfires.
Future risks of wildfires in B.C.
As B.C.’s climate keeps changing, we will see large wildfires more often.
Bigger, hotter fires
Longer, hotter summers lead to more droughts and a longer wildfire season. Dry conditions make it easier for lightning storms and strong winds to start fires. These fires can spread, combine and burn for longer.
Wildfire burning with billowing smoke in a forest.
Danger for homes and communities
Bigger, hotter, more frequent wildfires can threaten the places we live. Evacuations may displace people. Homes and livelihoods may be at risk.
Poorer air quality
Smoke from the wildfires lowers our air quality, making it hard to breathe and unsafe to be outside. People with chronic health conditions are even more at risk for negative impacts from wildfire smoke.
Saturday, April 25, 2026
