West Kelowna, BC Wildfire Forces Evacuation of Hundreds

A wildfire ignited on June 16, 2026 in Kalamoir Regional Park near Okanagan Lake, British Columbia. The blaze grew to about 8–9.4 hectares and was suspected to be human‑caused. Provincial and municipal emergency officials declared a state of local emergency and ordered tactical evacuations of the Casa Loma and Lakeview Heights neighbourhoods. Initially about 357 households were ordered to leave; the alert later expanded to cover roughly 742 properties, affecting an estimated 1,700 residents. Fire crews from BC Wildfire Service, West Kelowna Fire Rescue and aerial assets fought the fire, which was later classified as “being held” and then under control. Evacuation orders for the first group were downgraded to an alert, allowing residents to return, while the larger alert zone remained in place pending final safety checks. Kalamoir Park stayed closed for public use, and the incident is being investigated by fire officials, the RCMP and the Ministry of Natural Resources. No structures were lost and no injuries were reported.