The area under evacuation order around a wildfire in West Kelowna, B.C., is gradually shrinking.
The Central Okanagan emergency operations centre says residents of 16 properties along Bear Creek Road are allowed to go home, although they remain on evacuation alert and must be ready to leave again if the McDougall Creek wildfire flares.
As a ridge rebuilds on Thursday and Friday, increased temps low humidity and strong winds will likely increase fire behaviour and smoke starting on Friday. Torching and intermittent crowning may occur, with growth expected on larger fires in the zone through Friday and Saturday.
— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) September 13, 2023
Evacuation orders were lifted for more than two dozen other properties on Wednesday, weeks after thousands of residents were chased out by the fast-moving wildfire.
The centre says about 350 properties are still under evacuation order and close to 5,000 are on evacuation alert as the fire remains out of control, nearly a month after it was reported.
About half of the 400 structures or homes that were destroyed in B.C.'s wildfires this summer were lost in the Kelowna area.
There are almost 400 fires are still burning in the province in what has been a record season for area burned, and about 160 of those fires remain out of control.
