Drought Hill Traffic Shift – West Kelowna News

Photo: commuted

UPDATE 7:22 am

DriveBc now reports that the westbound lane on the Okanagan Connector, Highway 97C is now fully open after a vehicle incident has occurred the highway up to a lane earlier Monday morning.

UPDATE 5:28 AM

DriveBC now reports a westbound vehicle incident at Brenda Mines Road Exit left the left lane open and the right lane blocked at 5:30 am [19659017] ORIGINAL 5:17 am

The westbound route 97C is closed near the exit of the Brenda mines due to an incident involving a vehicle.

DriveBC is waiting for the next update by 6 am

Contributed by Randy Millis

Emergency teams responded to a car accident in West Kelowna on Sunday morning

The incident occurred during the day. is produced at Mission Hill Road and Boucherie Road around 1 am.

Witness says occupants fled the scene on foot

"Initially, rescue was looking for victims perhaps thinking that they had been thrown out of the vehicle," said Randy Millis, who was on the places after the incident.

The road was briefly closed while emergency crews cleared the area

It is not known if the accident caused injuries or if the occupants were found.

Photo: Carl Steele [19659004] A fire retardant fell on the Smith Creek fire on Saturday

UPDATE 3:14 PM

Firefighters stated that the Smith Creek fire is on a ridge line and is not considered an interface light. the team rappelled in the Castanet region at least one helicopter is pouring water on the flames.

Tankers were also seen running over the fire.

UPDATE 2:34 pm

She said that there is smoke but that the fire does not seem very big.

There is also a helicopter that badesses the situation, but few details are available on the site.

A small forest fire burns in the hills above Smith Creek in West Kelowna on Saturday.

The fire in the hills above Smith Creek Road was reported early in the afternoon Saturday, and water bombers would have already struck.

The West Kelowna Fire Department also visits the scene, but the crews have difficulty accessing the fire.

Castanet will have more information as soon as they are available.

UPDATE: 1:30 pm

As crews continue to work on the three lights at Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park, recreational boaters in the area pose challenges to Helicopters and skimmers work on the lights.

The BC Wildfire Service took Twitter on Saturday afternoon, saying that its response to the Goode's Creek Forest Fire had been "affected by boaters on Okanagan Lake."

"It's Dangerous and dangerous to boaters In addition, they warn that the public must stay away from Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park as it is an active shooting area.

"These wildfires may seem inactive, but there is significant security. "Trees that have been damaged by fire could be unstable and could fall. Ash pits can be difficult to detect and will stay hot well after the end of the flames.

ORIGINAL: 9:00 am

Firefighters continue to be concerned about crews working in the high temperatures of the Okanagan. Fighting the Three Fires in Okanagan Mountain Barren Provincial Park

Although the Goode's Creek, Glenfir Road and Frederick Creek Forest Fires in the park remain out of control, they do not threaten any homes.

"They are tough, the terrain is difficult and building a rock guard is difficult – they are a challenge," said Noelle Kekula, head of fire information. "

Kekula says that the three fires continue to develop in the park, and an addiction in the area was lost to fire, but they did not grow up to the houses.

Friday, Helicopters working in the park were diverted to Kelowna's Glen more space, to help fight the fire that was fired over Yates Road.

On the west side of the lake, the teams were successful to control the fires that threatened the homes.When 87 firefighters remain on the scene of the fire of Mount Eneas, the fire is held, and the crews patrol the fire.It is the same for the fires of Law Creek Forest near Glenrosa, West Kelowna Region

Unfortunately, conditions in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park remain extremely hot as the 2003 fires left firefighters with little

Nomex flame retardant protective suits crews are not known for their breathability.

"It's really amazing, these poor crews," Kekula said. "They are preparing all this pipe, they work hard in these conditions … bravo to them, hats crews to work so hard."

Kekula says that the teams working on this side of the lake began their day at 4:30 to avoid the time spent in the hottest part of the day. In addition, Kekula says his team keeps freezies and ice freezers to help lower the temperature of their crews.

Photo: Nicholas Johansen

The arid slopes of Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park A three-car accident slowed traffic near Peachland

Traffic is saved along Highway 97 near Peachland after a accident of three vehicles that caused delays.

Nissan 350Z seems to have been on the back, and emergency teams are currently on stage.

Motorists in the area report that traffic has been reduced to one lane, alternately near Trepanier Road.

Avenue to the south and north until the junction with Highway 97C

Photo: Added

UPDATE: 3:35 pm

Traffic began to move again in both directions across Peachland.

scene now

A witness who was driving through the scene said that it did not appear that anyone involved suffered serious injuries.

UPDATE: 3:30 pm

Peachland resident Christie informs us that the traffic on Highway 97 continues to be taken by the community

She says that there has been a collision on the curve just after the lights on Highway 97 at 13th Street. The traffic is heading north, but it's stopping south, she says.

It seems to be single-track, alternating traffic is now allowed.

Northbound traffic is saved until Antlers Beach.

It is believed that the accident could have involved a motorcycle

UPDATE: 3:15 pm

Traffic appears to be moving north again on Highway 97, from Peachland to West Kelowna.

ORIGINAL 2:55 pm

There is a rumble of traffic in Peachland

A listener from Okanagan Oldies 103.9 called to say that the traffic was not moving back and forth. When you head to Peachland from West Kelowna

No word for why traffic stalled

More info when it becomes available

Upload photos, video to [email protected]

Photo: Castanet Photo File

One of the least well kept secrets of Okanagan politics is now official.

Doug Findlater will not seek a fourth term as mayor of West Kelowna

He made the announcement on Friday morning.

Findlater has held the mayor's chair for the past 10 years after serving o one year as a councilor. Previously, he was President of the Westside Governance Restructure Committee for four years and Regional Director of Westside for six months.

"I decided to get into elected local politics in 2007. My goal was then to community and surrounding areas are a better place and make the West Kelowna municipality a place of work for our citizens.

"Everyday, since 2007, it has been this goal."

During his ten years as mayor's chair, Findlater says he is very proud to ensure good governance, ethics and integrity, strong organizational leadership and overcoming the infrastructure deficit of the municipality.

He credits his success to the support of his wife, Willie, his family and his members.

Findlater says that after 16 years in the political world and 34 years in the federal government, it's time "

" Over the next few weeks, I will look at ways to continue to participate and to continue to support our journey to a big city, "he concluded.

Former Councilor Gord Milsom is the Only Candidate Declared Mayor May Become Vacant

Photo: Google Street View

Allan Waidman is tired of traffic along Glenrosa Road and wants West Kelowna to do something about it.

Waidman, who lives just above McIver Road, says this portion of Glenrosa has become a "raceway".

"They go back to Glenrosa, and once they get to McIver, they go crazy," he says. The speed limit on this part of the road is 50 km / h, but Waidman says nobody seems to do that.

"If you sit on your deck and the traffic rolls normally, it's not bad. You must live with that. But, you get the other guys on the bikes that just open it, and the guys with the tons with diesel, that's crazy, "he said.

" The kids are walking in this street, they must because there are no sidewalks here. With time, something will happen.

Other residents of Glenrosa went to the Facebook page of a neighborhood to express their frustration with regard to speed and security. A notorious blind bend and a kid thought it was a great idea to move in the opposite direction to save five seconds of their life, "said a post.

Waidman wrote to the mayor and council for

He says that the RCMP must be more visible on this part of Glenrosa.

Mayor Doug Findlater, who also resides in this area, says the police need to "get out of there. [19659004] This, he says, would be like a police state where politicians tell the police what to do and where to do it.

"Residents have the right to call the RCMP directly, and I find that they are very receptive," Findlater. "19659004" The other thing they do is d & # 39; Send the Speed ​​Watch volunteers who document the incidents. If they get a number, they will entrust him to the RCMP and tell him that it is a problem.

The mayor agrees that the intersection with McIver is bad, but that changes are imminent.

He says the Glenrosa Road section of Glen Abbey Place at McGinnis Road is scheduled for an upgrade in 2021. This will likely include a roundabout at the intersection of McIver.

Fire behavior across the valley has subsided and all evacuation orders and alerts have been canceled, but it still smokes in the air. ; Okanagan. Although high temperatures are very favorable for bathers, this can be dangerous for firefighters.

At a press conference on Thursday, Glenn Burgess, Incident Commander of Wildfire Service in British Columbia, said the overheating of firefighters was a very serious problem. 19659004] Those on the front line must wear fire protection clothing that leaves little visible skin – not really beach clothes. And with temperatures expected to remain in the mid-1930s in the foreseeable future, firefighter teams are now starting their days earlier to try to avoid the time spent in the hottest part of the day. They are also rotating faster.

"Especially the firefighters who work on the east side of the lake, in the Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park, we all know that it is an old burn, there is no such thing. shadow, "said Burgess. "They are out in this heat all day without shade, there is no way out of the sun."

Burgess said the safety of crew members is their biggest concern On the ninth day of the Battle of Okanagan

"Fatigue Fatigue and, Frankly, Heat," Burgess told me. "It's our biggest concern right now. , literally the safety of our first responders. We talk a lot about fire risk, now the danger for them is literally the heat and the work they do. "

In addition to trying to minimize their time in the hottest part of the day" Burgess said that it was important to give his members some free time to "enjoy the time" Okanagan "

" You Can Understand What It Means, "said Burgess Laughing

No homes destroyed by wildfires across the Okanagan after nine firefighting days, firefighters are likely to have plenty of cold, carbonated beverages on their rest days