Wildfire near West Kelowna, B.C., prompts ‘tactical evacuation’ of hundreds of properties

An out-of-control wildfire has forced hundreds of people to evacuate and shut down major roadways which have now partially reopened.

A fast-moving wildfire prompted tactical evacuations in B.C.’s Okanagan Wednesday afternoon, according to local officials.

The Drought Hill wildfire in Peachland prompted the Central Okanagan Regional District to activate its Emergency Operations Centre and issue evacuation orders for roughly 400 properties.

Before the orders were formally issued, authorities conducted door-to-door “tactical evacuations.”

People who live east of Trepanier Bench Road, south of Highway 97C and north of Highway 97 are impacted, and advised to “prepare to be away from their properties for an extended period of time, make arrangements for pets and pack essential items such as medicines and important documents,” the regional district said in a bulletin.

Evacuees can report to the Peachland Community Centre, and those unable to access it are being told to report to a “muster centre” in West Kelowna.

The regional district also put 225 addresses on evacuation alert, asking residents to be ready to leave “at a moment’s notice.”

The properties on evacuation alert were all located to the south and west of the evacuation order areas, and the CORD advised residents to use its online map to search for their addresses.

The blaze is burning near the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 97C, the latter better known as the Okanagan Connector. Both highways were closed Wednesday afternoon, but Highway 97C reopened westbound in the evening, according to DriveBC.

The B.C. Wildfire Service listed the blaze as out of control and human-caused, with an estimated size of 27 hectares.

Provincial crews were assisting the local fire department with the response.

The BCWS has deployed 21 firefighters, along with structure protection personnel. They were being supported by multiple additional resources including “land-based airtankers, skimmers, birddogs and three helicopters,” according to the BCWS website.

“Aircraft will be using Okanagan Lake as a water source throughout the afternoon. We are asking the public and recreators to give these critical resources room to work. People using watercraft should move quickly out of the way of skimmers to allow them the space they need to move safely,” the BCWS said in a social media post.

“Aircraft retardant and water delivery has been effective at cooling fire behaviour,” the service added in an update Wednesday evening.

“The fire behaviour has decreased to rank 2 and rank 3, meaning a low to moderate surface fire with open flame, occasional candling and a low to moderate rate of spread.”

• Related: Full coverage of B.C.’s 2025 wildfire season

The RCMP’s Kelowna Regional Detachment issued a statement saying it was assisting local and provincial firefighters with the response, reiterating the appeal for people in the area to give crews ample room to work.

“Police are asking the public to stay out of the area on the ground and on the lake,” Mounties said.

“Boaters are asked to be aware and not obstruct the aircraft from accessing the lake in their firefighting efforts.”