(West Kelowna) Central Okanagan emergency operations have lifted the local state of emergency in West Kelowna, B.C., more than a month after the McDougall Creek wildfire devastated the region.
The organization says it has also withdrawn all remaining evacuation orders resulting from the fire.
West Kelowna was placed under a state of emergency on Aug. 16 as the 139 square kilometer McDougall Creek Fire destroyed or damaged nearly 190 properties.
The wildfire forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 properties and put another 10,000 homes on alert, with around 50,000 residents affected by various orders and advisories.
In a statement, the operations center says the fire “impacted every community” in the region, from Westbank First Nation and the City of Kelowna to the districts of Peachland and Lake Country.
About half of the 400 structures or homes destroyed so far during British Columbia’s record fire season were reported in the Kelowna area.