Evacuation alerts end as crews manage Knox Mountain hotspots

Monday Update: Evacuation alerts triggered by a wildfire that broke out on Knox Mountain Saturday afternoon have ended.

The local State of Emergency has also come to an end.

The fire, according to BC Wildfire Service officials, is under control at 6.5 acres. Teams continue to manage several hot spots.

Knox Mountain Park remains closed, as there are many non-fire hazards in the area, such as sink holes caused by burning tree roots.

City of Kelowna staff will be in the park Tuesday to identify and mitigate hazards and assess any infrastructure damage.

Update Sunday: The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) labelled the Knox Mountain wildfire as 'Under Control' Sunday morning. It said suppression efforts have been successful and the fire is not expected to spread further.

Ground personnel will be conducting patrol and mop up Sunday. The fire's perimeter has been secured by a fuel-free guard and water delivery system.

The size of the fire was measured at 6.5 hectares and has been categorized as human caused. The BCWS did not offer further details.

Central Okanagan Emergency Operations said the Kelowna Fire Department and BC Wildfire remained on scene overnight managing some minor flare ups, mostly in the larger woody debris areas.

The evacuation alert for properties in Poplar Point, Knox Mountain, Magic Estates and Clifton areas will remain in place until Tuesday.

Knox Mountain Park, including the path to Paul’s Tomb, remains closed until further notice. City of Kelowna is reminding residents they are prohibited from entering the active fire zone. Failure to comply will result in an up to $500 fine.

Update Saturday: The BC Wildfire Service has downgraded evacuations around the Knox Mountain wildfire to alerts.

The service said Saturday evening the blaze is considered held, but it will be monitored overnight.

The evacuation alert remains in effect for properties in Poplar Point, Knox Mountain, Magic Estates and the Clifton areas.

The City of Kelowna has closed Knox Mountain Park until further notice.

A wildfire on Knox Mountain has forced the evacuation of nearly 450 properties in the immediate area.

Another almost 900 are on evacuation alert. Residents on alert should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

Evacuation Orders were issued for the Knox Mountain and Poplar Point areas Saturday afternoon.

An Emergency Support Services Centre has been opened at the Salvation Army at 1480 Sutherland Avenue.

The wildfire was spotted around 2 p.m. Saturday with white smoke clearly visible around the city.

There were high winds and the smoke was heading northward.

RCMP and COSAR said they were assisting with tactical evacuations in the areas of Poplar Point, north of Knox Mountain Park Drive, including Knox Mountain Park.

Another tactical evacuation was underway in Magic Estates, from Rio Drive south to Magic Estates Drive, in all areas west of Clifton Drive.

An Evacuation Alert is in place for the remainder of Clifton Road area and the community of Wilden to Upper Canyon Drive north to Union Drive.

Kelowna Fire Department crews are dealing with the priorities of the incident.

As of 4 p.m. Saturday officials said an evaluation of the situation was underway and specific details would be released as they were confirmed.

Public safety and the safety of emergency response personnel were the primary concerns.

Emergency Operations Centre staff are working with other response agencies to manage the situation and minimize the impacts.

New information will be released to the media as soon as it becomes available.

For up-to-date information on the situation, including a map, visit cordemergency.ca.