British Columbia remains under a state of emergency after thousands of people were evacuated from their homes because of nearby wildfires, including the blazes on either side of Lake Okanagan in the Interior. Here is a look at some of the fires in question by the numbers:
Size of Bush Creek East fire on west side of Adams Lake: 410 square kilometres
Size of McDougall Creek fire in West Kelowna: 110 square kilometres
Size of Kookipi Creek fire near Lytton: 105 square kilometres
Estimated total number of people under evacuation orders: 30,000 or more
Estimated number of people under evacuation alerts: 36,000
Number of firefighters working in West Kelowna: 500
Population of West Kelowna: approximately 38,000 people
Number of central Okanagan properties ordered to evacuate: about 10,700
Number of central Okanagan properties on evacuation alert: about 9,500
Number of structures damaged or destroyed: "Significant"
Number of wildfires burning in B.C.: 382
Number of B.C. wildfires considered "of note" because they are highly visible or threatening public safety: 14
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2023
The Canadian Press
