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A recent satellite image captured just hours before a wildfire caused a “tactical evacuation” in West Kelowna illustrates the potential for rapid growth. The image, provided by the satellite imaging company Planet Labs, shows the McDougall Creek wildfire on August 17, prior to the fire being fueled by powerful winds and high temperatures. Mike Flannigan, a professor at Thompson Rivers University, analyzed the image and noted that the direction of the wind indicated that the fire was ready to spread. Flannigan tracked the fire as it moved eastward towards West Kelowna. Although the infrared satellite imagery available to him did not provide the same level of detail as the Planet Labs image, it still displayed the fire’s expansion.

By Thursday evening, the wildfire had grown to 1,100 hectares and reached Rank 5 fire behavior, which is extremely dangerous and involves the fire jumping into the crowns of trees. The arrival of a dry cold front and strong winds further pushed the fire east into the Okanagan Valley. The intense fire weather, exacerbated by drought conditions, prompted emergency personnel to initiate a tactical evacuation in parts of West Kelowna. Thousands of people were displaced, and the fire destroyed a significant number of homes and spread across Okanagan Lake.

The extreme fire weather conditions in Kelowna and the surrounding areas led to a declaration of a state of emergency by the province. Officials have advised against visiting the region and have prohibited the use of temporary accommodations for visitors. As of August 21, the McDougall Creek wildfire had burned 11,000 hectares. Cooler temperatures and smoky skies have reduced the fire’s intensity, but firefighters from across the province continue to work on containing the blaze and protecting urban areas.

West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund reported that at least 50 structures have been damaged or destroyed by the fire. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Flannigan emphasized that all the conditions for extreme fire weather had aligned, creating a challenging situation for extinguishing the fire. This recent wildfire adds to the already devastating wildfire season in British Columbia and Canada, with over 14 million hectares of land burned across the country. Although fire activity has calmed compared to the previous week, thousands of firefighters and numerous aircraft are still engaged in fighting fires throughout the province. Flannigan expressed concerns about the potential for fire weather conditions to worsen again in the coming weeks. He highlighted the need to prioritize the mental and physical health of firefighters, emphasizing that the fire season is not yet over.

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