Several properties under evacuation order as wildfire burns near Kelowna airport

CBC News

· Posted: Jul 06, 2025 9:26 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 7

A tiny wildfire burning adjacent the Kelowna International Airport placed 7 properties nether evacuation bid and much than 100 nether alert precocious Sunday.

The Whelan Creek wildfire started Sunday day successful the Ellison area, astir 9 kilometres northeast of cardinal Kelowna, and grew to just implicit 4 hectares, oregon 0.04 quadrate kilometres, successful size by that night.

It was initially classified arsenic retired of control, but the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said it was being held arsenic of Sunday evening.

Kelowna RCMP said Sunday that the blaze was burning uphill toward Postill Lake and different adjacent lakes with cabins and campsites. Officers carried out tactical evacuations successful the Rockface Road, Upper Booth Road and Dead Pine Road areas.

Around 10:30 p.m., the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations said a authorities of section exigency had been declared. It said seven addresses — astir each connected Rockface Road — were nether evacuation bid and that residents "should expect to beryllium away from their homes overnight."

More than 100 addresses were besides placed connected evacuation alert.

"We cannot accent capable the value of staying retired of the area," RCMP said successful a statement. "Emergency services volition not let members of the wide nationalist into the evacuation zone."

Mounties said entree successful the forested country is constricted and encouraged anyone adjacent the lakes to permission arsenic a precaution.

The occurrence is successful the Ellison Fire Department's jurisdiction, said Cali Nessman, a occurrence accusation serviceman with the Kamloops Fire Centre.

"BCWS is supporting with 3 archetypal onslaught crews, 2 effect officers, 2 helicopters doing bucketing, 4 aerial tankers and a vertebrate canine aircraft," Nessman said Sunday. 

The Kelowna Fire Department has been working to support the occurrence from advancing toward adjacent recreational areas.

The occurrence is suspected to beryllium human-caused, which the B.C. Wildfire Service said could include some intentional and accidental ignition.