McDougall Creek fire
{{Short description|2023 wildfire in British Columbia}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=August 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox wildfire
| title = McDougall Creek Fire
| partof = the 2023 Canada wildfires
| evacuated = 35,000
| cause = Under investigation
| total_area = {{convert|13,970.4|ha|acre}}
| date = August 15, 2023 – September 21, 2023
| time-begin =
| buildings = 303
| structures = Unknown
| fatalities = 0
| location = Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|frame-align=|frame-width=|frame-height=250|from=2023 McDougall Creek Fire.map|frame-latitude=49.95|frame-longitude=-119.55|zoom=10 |text=Perimeter of McDougall Creek Fire (map data)}}
}}
File:2023 Kelowna Wildfire.jpg on August 17, 2023]]
The McDougall Creek Fire was a wildfire in the Okanagan region of British Columbia, Canada as part of the 2023 Canadian wildfires. The fire sparked two other fires, Walroy Lake and Clarke Creek; together they are called the Grouse Complex. It started near West Kelowna on August 15, 2023.{{Cite web |title=BC Wildfire Service |url=https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/incidents?fireYear=2023&incidentNumber=K52767 |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca}} The wildfire forced the evacuation of West Kelowna and parts of Kelowna.
Overall, at least 35,000 people were under evacuation orders and another 30,000 under evacuation alerts, as of August 19.{{Cite news |date=August 18, 2023 |title=Thousands ordered to evacuate in B.C.'s Okanagan as fast-moving wildfire threatens Kelowna, West Kelowna |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/what-you-need-to-know-about-bc-wildfires-aug-18-2023-1.6940311 |access-date=August 18, 2023}}{{Cite news |date=2023-08-20 |title=As fires rage in British Columbia, more residents prepare for evacuations |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/fires-rage-british-columbia-more-residents-prepare-evacuations-2023-08-20/ |access-date=2023-08-20}}
The wildfire was fuelled by sustained high winds and extreme drought conditions. The final size of the wildfire was {{Convert|13,970.4|ha|acre}}.{{Cite web |title=McDougall Creek |url=https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/incidents?fireYear=2023&incidentNumber=K52767 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250401000621/https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/incidents?fireYear=2023&incidentNumber=K52767 |archive-date=2025-04-01 |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=BC Wildfire Service |language=en}}
Background
Western Canada has seen a climate change-induced warming and drying trend since the mid-2000s. The province of B.C. experienced major fire seasons in 2017, 2018, and 2021, with burned areas far exceeding yearly averages.{{Cite journal |last1=Parisien |first1=Marc-André |last2=Barber |first2=Quinn E. |last3=Bourbonnais |first3=Mathieu L. |last4=Daniels |first4=Lori D. |last5=Flannigan |first5=Mike D. |last6=Gray |first6=Robert W. |last7=Hoffman |first7=Kira M. |last8=Jain |first8=Piyush |last9=Stephens |first9=Scott L. |last10=Taylor |first10=Steve W. |last11=Whitman |first11=Ellen |date=2023-09-05 |title=Abrupt, climate-induced increase in wildfires in British Columbia since the mid-2000s |journal=Communications Earth & Environment |language=en |volume=4 |issue=1 |page=309 |bibcode=2023ComEE...4..309P |doi=10.1038/s43247-023-00977-1 |issn=2662-4435 |doi-access=free}} The Kelowna region experienced its driest summer on record in 2023 with approximately {{Convert|10|mm|in}} of rain in total between July 1 and August 17.
The McDougall Creek Fire was one of the many wildfires in 2023 that burned in the Province of British Columbia.{{Cite web |last=Carey |first=Charlie |date=2023-08-17 |title=BC expecting dry lightning, more wildfires |url=https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2023/08/17/bc-expecting-wildfires-challenging-conditions/ |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=CityNews Vancouver |language=en-US}} The province announced on Thursday, August 17 that it was "the most challenging 24 to 48 hours this summer".
Spread
At 5:59 pm on August 15, the McDougall Creek fire was discovered about 10 km northwest of West Kelowna and reported to the B.C. Wildfire Service. On the evening of August 17, 2023, a constant wind gust caused the wildfire to rapidly spread across the mountains.
At 1:25 pm PT on August 17, the evacuation alert was expanded, and an evacuation order was issued by the City of West Kelowna for 68 properties. Throughout the evening of August 17, further evacuation orders were issued by emergency officials.
= Grouse Complex =
At around 9:55 pm, August 17, the wildfire jumped over Okanagan Lake sparking two new wildfires north of downtown Kelowna, forcing a state of emergency by the city and further evacuations.{{Cite web |title=BC Wildfire Service |url=https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/incidents?fireYear=2023&incidentNumber=K52808 |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca}}{{Cite web |last=Frisk |first=Adam |title=Kelowna declares state of emergency, evacuation orders issued as wildfire jumps Okanagan Lake overnight |url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/kelowna-declares-state-of-emergency-evacuation-orders-issued-as-wildfire-jumps-okanagan-lake-overnight-1.6524568 |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=ctvnews |language=en}} The Walroy Lake fire started on the eastern side of Okanagan Lake near the neighbourhood of Glenmore Highlands, and the Clarke Creek wildfire started near Okanagan Centre, west of Lake Country. Together, the three fires were named the Grouse Complex.{{Cite journal |last=Baxter |first=Greg |last2=Richards |first2=Mike |last3=Tymstra |first3=Cordy |date=November 2024 |title=A wildland-urban post-fire case study: The Grouse Complex |url=https://www.iclr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Grouse-Complex-WU-Fires-N.pdf |journal=Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction |pages=22}}
Just after 10:20 am PT, August 18, Kelowna International Airport announced that they were suspending flights to and from the airport until further notice.{{Cite news |date=August 18, 2023 |title=Airspace over Kelowna International Airport closed as crews battle growing wildfires |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kelowna-airport-airspace-closed-wildfires-1.6940699 |access-date=August 18, 2023}}
Just after 6:15 pm, August 18, the province declared a state of emergency due to the changing and worsening fire condition. The province also advised against nonessential travel to the BC Interior.{{Cite web |date=August 18, 2023 |title=Premier's and minister's statement on provincial state of emergency |work=Government of British Columbia |url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023PREM0054-001323}}
On August 19, the province announced in a ministerial order that non-essential travels into the B.C. Interior and southeast B.C. would be restricted{{Cite web |title=CityNews |url=https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2023/08/19/travel-restrictions-wildfire-okanagan/ |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=vancouver.citynews.ca}} until September 4, 2023. The order restricts accommodations such as hotels, inns, motels, provincial parks, RV parks, bed and breakfasts, and public campgrounds in West Kelowna, Kelowna, Kamloops, Osoyoos, Oliver, Penticton, and Vernon to essential purposes only.{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2023 |title=Ministerial Order 243/2023 |url=https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/mo/mo/m0243_2023 |access-date=September 2, 2023 |website=BC Laws}}
On August 23, the province lifted most wildfire-related travel restrictions in the southern interior, with the exception of West Kelowna. Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, urged people to continuously avoid fire-affected communities and respect evacuation orders and alerts.{{Cite web |date=August 19, 2023 |title=Minister's statement on accommodation and travel restrictions |url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023EMCR0057-001332 |access-date=August 22, 2023 |website=BC Gov News}}
As of September 1, the wildfire was estimated at 13,712 hectares in size and still classified as out of control. The wildfire was still actively burning along the west and southwest flanks.{{Cite web |date=September 1, 2023 |title=McDougall Creek wildfire remains out of control at over 13,500 hectares |url=https://www.kelownanow.com/watercooler/news/news/Wildfire/McDougall_Creek_wildfire_remains_out_of_control_at_over_13_500_hectares/ |access-date=September 2, 2023 |website=Kelowna Now}}
On September 21, the B.C. Wildfire Services reported that the wildfire was "being held" and that was fire was "not likely to spread past predetermined boundaries under current conditions."{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mcdougall-creek-wildfire-no-held-1.6975199|title=Destructive West Kelowna, B.C., wildfire that forced thousands from homes is now being held, service says|work=CBC News|date=September 22, 2023|access-date=October 6, 2023}} The area restriction order remained in place until October 3. However, four regional district parks remained closed to the public.{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/10005988/mcdougall-creek-wildfire-area-restriction-order-lifted/|title=McDougall Creek wildfire: Order lifted restricting access to backcountry|work=Global News|date=October 3, 2023|access-date=October 6, 2023}}
Damage
303 structures were impacted by the fire, including homes and outbuildings. 70 homes were lost in the City of West Kelowna, 20 in the Westbank First Nation, 3 in the City of Kelowna, and 2 in the District Municipality of Lake Country. The unincorporated lakeside communities of Traders Cove and Wilson's Landing saw the heaviest losses with 100 homes destroyed.{{Cite web |date=October 3, 2023 |title=Okanagan and Shuswap area wildfires cause over $720 million in insured damage |url=https://www.ibc.ca/news-insights/news/okanagan-and-shuswap-area-wildfires-cause-over-720-million-in-insured-damage |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=www.ibc.ca |publisher=Insurance Bureau of Canada |language=en-CA}} One of the destroyed buildings included the historic Lake Okanagan Resort.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-18 |title=Structures burned, people trapped as parts of B.C.'s Okanagan ordered to evacuate |url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/structures-burned-people-trapped-as-parts-of-b-c-s-okanagan-ordered-to-evacuate-1.6524568 |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=British Columbia |language=en}} The Insurance Bureau of Canada put the total insured losses of the fire at more than 480 million Canadian dollars.
See also
- 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park fire: A wildfire started on August 16, 2003, in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park, south of the City of Kelowna
References
{{reflist}}
{{2023 wildfires}}
{{Wildfires in British Columbia}}
Category:2023 in British Columbia
Category:2020s wildfires in Canada
Category:2023 disasters in Canada
Category:August 2023 in Canada
Category:September 2023 in Canada