West Kelowna Fire

The Valley is on Fire! Fire broke out yesterday afternoon with some crazy hot temperatures and strong winds. As of this morning it's just getting worse. We listened to the spread of the fire, the start of the evacuation orders and the highway closures on the radio yesterday afternoon, then went out in the evening for a little drive along Lakeshore Drive here on the downtown side of the lake. These photos are looking across the lake to the Glenrosa area where the fire started.

Since we've woken up this morning the smell of smoke in the air is overwhelming - even where we are, and the air is just so hazy/smokey. Apparently over 6500 houses have been evacuated and over 400 hectares are burning. There are at least 2 more fires burning over on the west side of the lake in the Rose Valley and Terrace Mountain areas. The main highway through the valley is just closed in both directions. It's scary stuff.

(The above picture was taken from Chute Lake Road area, very near the devastion and burn area left from the 2003 Firestorms)