West Kelowna

British Columbia's 2023 wildfires were a life-changing disaster for many, and their impact has echoed into the holiday season.

Central Okanagan Emergency Operations has lifted the state of local emergency in West Kelowna, B.C., more than a month after the McDougall Creek wildfire devastated the area.

The large wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes in West Kelowna, B.C., and was a key front in the province's most devastating fire season on record is now considered "held" after raging out of control since mid-August.

A large majority of Canadians are worried about climate change and believe it is the reason for an increase in extreme weather, a new national poll suggests.

Annick deGooyer knew that her family's home of more than 20 years had been destroyed by the McDougall Creek wildfire that consumed scores of properties in West Kelowna, B.C., about three weeks ago.

People whose homes were destroyed by the wildfire in and around West Kelowna, B.C., are being contacted to schedule escorted bus visits to view the damage.

The wildfire that has been rampaging through the Shuswap region of the B.C. Interior has also sparked a fight over whether local Opposition MLAs have been encouraging residents to disobey firefighters, or if the government is refusing to listen to critics of its response to the fires.

Lightning strikes have sparked dozens of new wildfires in British Columbia, as thunderstorms brought mixed blessings to the province's battle against its worst fire season on record.

Officials in British Columbia's Shuswap and Okanagan regions are shifting some of their attention from wildfire response to the challenges of recovery as flames abate and many evacuees begin returning home, although crews continue to fight out-of-control blazes.

The last travel restriction for the Okanagan region in British Columbia has been lifted alongside all previous evacuation orders within Kelowna's city limits, as wildfires there diminish after this week's rainfall.

When Walter Roos was planning for the ceremony over Zoom where he would become a Canadian citizen, he expected to attend in business attire while at home in Popkum, B.C., east of Chilliwack.

Firefighters in British Columbia's southern Interior continue to battle a number of significant wildfires even as cooler, wetter weather is anticipated in the region.

British Columbia Premier David Eby is scheduled to visit the province's fire-ravaged southern Interior today, along with Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma and Forests Minister Bruce Ralston, to get a first-hand look at the devastation caused by raging wildfires.

Fire chiefs from West Kelowna, Kelowna and Lake Country said homes have been destroyed in their communities, with West Kelowna sustaining the most losses and higher numbers still expected.

The fire was "exponentially worse" than expected, said Jason Brolund, chief of the West Kelowna fire department.