Wildfire prompts hurried evacuations in West Kelowna, B.C.
Posted Jun 16, 2026 2:49 pm.
Residents of two West Kelowna, B.C., neighbourhoods are being rushed out of their homes ahead of a fast-moving wildfire burning near Okanagan Lake.
The emergency management centre for the Central Okanagan says tactical evacuations were underway for homes along 10 streets in the Casa Loma and Lakeview Heights areas in response to the fire discovered today.
The eight-hectare fire is burning out of control in Kalamoir Regional Park, with the BC Wildfire Service website saying the suspected cause was human activity.
The areas under evacuation are located just south of the floating Bill Bennet bridge that leads into Kelowna.
The blaze was discovered shortly after provincial officials provided an update on B.C.’s wildfire outlook, saying spring showers and a slow start to the season were “masking” underlying drought and the likelihood of increased fire activity.
Neal McLoughlin, superintendent for predictive services, told the news conference that current drought patterns are worse compared with those recorded at the same time of year in the historic fire seasons of 2017, 2018 and 2021.
