Okanagan residents warned not to dodge wildfire checkpoints | 24CA News
Residents of wildfire evacuation zones round West Kelowna, B.C., are being warned to not attempt to dodge police checkpoints and to remain out of restricted areas or face attainable fines.
The Central Okanagan Regional District says in a press release folks making an attempt to achieve their properties by boat or forest entry roads inside the McDougall Creek wildfire restriction space may face $1,150 violation tickets.
The district says a wildfire space restriction was applied on Aug. 25 and stays in drive till midday Friday, however could possibly be prolonged.
The district says protected re-entry to neighbourhoods continues to be a precedence, and momentary entry to West Kelowna’s Traders Cove and Pine Point neighbourhoods was granted Thursday for residents to retrieve essential objects, with an analogous opening for Wilson’s Landing into consideration.
The regional district estimates about 405 properties within the West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation and the Central Okanagan Regional District areas stay on evacuation order and 12,303 properties are on alert.
The McDougall Creek wildfire, which destroyed about 200 properties within the Okanagan, stays categorised as out-of-control and is estimated at greater than 135 sq. kilometres.
“Enforcement of the area restriction continues to be a challenge as members of the public are still being reported in the area, attempting to access properties by boat from Okanagan Lake and forestry roads,” says the regional district assertion.
“RCMP and conservation officer staff are in place for the foreseeable future to continue checkpoint security and continue to enforce the area restriction order.”
The district says dangers within the wildfire zone embrace falling timber, the presence of heavy tools, and sizzling ash pits created by burning tree stumps and roots.
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