The City of West Kelowna is expressing heartfelt gratitude for the army of firefighters, ESS volunteers, RCMP and others fighting the McDougall Creek Wildfire, the largest blaze in the history of West Kelowna.
“This is an unprecedented and devastating disaster in our City, and we thank our community for being calm and resilient during this wildfire crisis," says Mayor Gord Milsom. "We are heartbroken for those who have experienced devastating property loss, for those who have lost pets, and for many others."
Over 500 firefighters are working in dangerous conditions with continued structure protection and defense, some of whom have also lost their homes.
In addition to the efforts of the BC Wildfire Service, more than 30 municipalities, so far, are operating out of the command centre in West Kelowna.
Municipalities include:
- Williams Lake
- Ladysmith
- Mission
- Sunshine Valley
- Quesnel
- Cherry Creek Canyon
- Lister
- Merritt
- Logan Lake
- Chilliwack
- Surrey
- Ferndale
- Sprout Lake
- Big White
- Oyster River
- Mill Bay
- Kamloops
- Saanich
- Popkum
- Summerland
- Kelowna
- West Kelowna
- View Royal
- Courtenay
- Burnaby
- Victoria
- Cowichan
- Armstrong
- North Cowichan
- Fort St. John
- Port Moody
"How do I begin to thank all of the fire chiefs who have sent their people and equipment?" West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund said at a news conference Saturday.
"I don't know. But I'm going to use this venue to say to those fire chiefs... Thank you. I will find a way to pay you back for the help that you're delivering to me and my fire department today."
Brolund on Sunday noted that West Kelowna and Kelowna firefighters have been battling flames in each others communities.
"I am the first one who gets to speak, but this group of fire chiefs who is sitting here alongside me today... Chief Whiting (Kelowna), Chief Lee (Lake Country), and Chief Kotcherofski (North Westside)... I wouldn't want to be standing beside anyone else other than these gentlemen."
"They have all experienced what on any normal day would be a significant event in their community, and it just so happened it has been overshadowed because it has happened to all of us at the same time," he added.
