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CBC
21 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
Wildfire partially closes Highway 97C in B.C.'s Okanagan region near West Kelowna
Updated Wildfire near Drought Hill causes 82.5 km-long closure on Okanagan Connector, tactical evacuations underway A wildfire has partially closed a critical highway in B.C.'s Okanagan region, with the blaze also prompting the evacuation of 400 nearby properties. The eastbound closure of the Okanagan Connector (Highway 97C) stretches from the junction of Highway 97 to the junction of Highway 5A, a distance of 82.5 kilometres. It was earlier closed in both directions, but reopened to westbound traffic just after 6:30 p.m. PT. DriveBC says a stretch of Highway 97 between Peachland and the Highway 97C junction has also been closed in both directions due to the fire, which was measured at 27 hectares in size as of 6:30 p.m. PT Wednesday. The fire is suspected to have been started by human activity, a broad category that includes any fire not caused by lightning. The Regional District of Central Okanagan's emergency operations centre said in a statement around 4:45 p.m. PT that residents of around 400 properties were ordered to leave, and evacuation alerts will be issued. Evacuation centres have been set up at the Peachland Community Centre and West Kelowna's Royal LePage Place, according to officials. Properties east of Trepanier Bench Road, south of Highway 97C, and north of Highway 97 are on evacuation order. An evacuation alert means that residents should be prepared to leave at a moment's notice, while an evacuation order means that residents should leave immediately. More details on evacuations will be posted to the website, according to officials. Peachland Mayor Patrick Van Minsel is among those who had to leave their homes due to the blaze. He estimates smoke from the fire was 500 to 600 metres from his home, which is in a hillside community between many trees. "I think there's no reason to be, you know, in panic," he told Sarah Penton, host of CBC's Radio West, late Wednesday afternoon from the evacuation centre. "I think [the] fire department is on it, we have a lot of trust in them," he added. "And I'm very hopeful that they will get a handle on it." Van Minsel said that anyone who had to leave their homes should have a place to go as the community centre is very large and people who aren't under evacuation order are welcoming and would take evacuees in. Taylor Colman, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, said crews were seeing a moderate rate of fire spread on Wednesday evening. "Thankfully, the air tankers and skimmers that are responding have really helped cool fire behaviour and slowed the spread," she said just after 6 p.m. PT. "And then our personnel on the ground are able to support Peachland fire department with the ground response." Fire sparked during hot week The blaze was sparked amid a sweltering week for the southern B.C. Interior, with Environment Canada maintaining a heat warning for the Okanagan Valley on Wednesday. Officials have not yet categorized the fire as a "wildfire of note," a designation that means it is particularly visible or poses a threat to public safety. Two other major fires are burning in the southern half of the province — including the Bear Creek wildfire near Harrison Lake, and a fire south of Lytton that has prompted evacuation alerts. Kelowna RCMP said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that firefighting helicopters would be using nearby Okanagan Lake to refuel, and that boaters should avoid the area. "Boaters are asked to be aware and not obstruct the aircraft from accessing the lake in their firefighting efforts," the statement reads. RCMP said that the closures on Highway 97 and Highway 97C would last for an indefinite amount of time.
Global News
6 days ago
- General
- Global News
Proper hazardous material disposal highlighted after Kelowna recycling truck catches fire
A fire that erupted inside a recycling truck in Kelowna, B.C., this week is prompting an important reminder about hazardous material being tossed into recycling bins. 'Very scary situation,' said Cynthia Coates, supervisor of solid waste services with the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO). 'It seems to be a little bit more prevalent as we see more and more lithium ion batteries out there in the world. They seem to be a big culprit.' On Wednesday, a driver of a recycling truck was forced to urgently dump a big load of material in a Kelowna school parking lot after flames erupted inside the vehicle. The suspected cause was deemed to be a metal fuel filter that was improperly placed in a recycling bin. 'You're compacting that stuff. It's breaking. Things are opening up. Things are going all over the rest of the stuff, so it does create a really risky situation,' Coates said. Story continues below advertisement In April, a garbage truck caught fire in Enderby. The city said there were more than 100 cellphone batteries in a bag, which ended up inside the truck. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The batteries likely ignited when they were compressed. 3:42 Recycle BC on minimizing waste while camping According to the RDCO, hazardous and potentially risky material includes anything corrosive, flammable or poisonous to less-obvious items, such as batteries, including those in e-cigarettes or vaping devices, metal automobile fuel filters, power tools, smoke alarms and propane tanks. 'This cart is only for paper and packaging,' Coates said, referring to a curbside recycling bin. 'Everything else, you need to find another home for and there's many options for that.' One of those options is Kelowna Recycling on Windsor Road, which accepts a lengthy list of hazardous material including electronics and more. Story continues below advertisement 'Household paints, household aerosols, aerosol cans that contain a flammable liquid that could be punctured by the compactor,' said Chase Fennessy, the facility's manager. 'Those are super dangerous.' It's the type of danger residents need to be mindful of when tossing items into their curbside bins. 'Sometimes it's ignorance to the rules, sometimes it's ignorance to the danger but I think a lot of people are putting their best effort in,' Fennessy said. Fennessy echoed the RDCO's message on proper disposal of any hazardous material. 'Most of the time the best option is to call us, check with us and see if what you have is something we accept, ' he said. 'If we don't accept it, we help direct you to the right place.' Fortunately no one was hurt in Wednesday's truck fire incident.
Global News
11-06-2025
- Business
- Global News
Kelowna city council turns down curbside food waste pickup program
Plans for curbside food waste collection in Kelowna, B.C., have been put on hold — for now. City council decided not to move forward with the proposal, which would have allowed single-family homes to add food scraps to their existing yard waste bins. The organic material would then be separated at a transfer station that still needs to be built. 'We recognize that there is a need for such a program,' said Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas. 'It was just the way that it was packaged and delivered at this time that wasn't appropriate for council.' Concerns raised by council included unclear costs, potential odour issues from the new facility, and the plan's limited scope. Dyas pointed out that the proposal focused only on single-family homes, leaving out multi-family residences. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Only one councilor, Gord Lovegrove, supported the program, citing its environmental benefits. Story continues below advertisement 'Food waste makes up about 25 per cent of what we send to the landfill,' said Lovegrove. 'By separating it out, we're cutting a big chunk of our waste stream and extending the landfill's life — even if only by a few years.' The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO), which is spearheading the initiative, estimated the cost would be around $63 per household per year with full participation across the region. Without Kelowna, that number is expected to climb significantly. 'That removes about 40,000 service residents from the program,' said Travis Kendel with the RDCO. 'We don't have an exact number, but we expect it to be beyond $150 per household per year.' The RDCO is now seeking feedback from other local governments and will be meeting with councils in Peachland and West Kelowna to gauge interest. Kelowna's mayor and council plan to revisit the food waste program in 2030, hoping for a solution that better fits the city's needs — especially as other municipalities have seen success with similar programs.
