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Evacuation alerts end for Kelowna, B.C., residents as wildfire under control

KELOWNA, B.C. — Evacuation alerts and a state of local emergency caused by a wildfire on Knox Mountain in Kelowna, B.C., have ended. A statement from the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre says the fire is now under control at 6.
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Sessel Mountain wildfire located approximately 43 kilometers northwest of Pemberton B.C. is shown this handout photo provided by the BC Wildfire Service from Saturday July 1, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-BC Wildfire Service **MANDATORY CREDIT **

KELOWNA, B.C. — Evacuation alerts and a state of local emergency caused by a wildfire on Knox Mountain in Kelowna, B.C., have ended.

A statement from the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre says the fire is now under control at 6.5 hectares and emergency crews are still on scene managing several hot spots.

Residents in the Poplar Point, Knox Mountain, Magic Estates and Clifton areas near the fire were under an evacuation order on Canada Day that was later downgraded to an alert as crews fought the flames

Kelowna RCMP assisted with an evacuation of more than 400 properties.

The centre says the majority of Knox Mountain Park remains closed to prioritize public safety, as hazards such as sink holes caused by burning tree roots remain in areas that no longer have active fires.

It says city staff will be in the park on Tuesday to identify and mitigate hazards and assess damage to infrastructure.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2023.

The Canadian Press