New provincial funding is designed to help communities plan for quicker and safer wildfire-related evacuations.
A total of $2 million is being provided to improve awareness of evacuation routes and provide more comprehensive real-time notifications when evacuations are necessary.
The 51 projects include $160,000 for the Regional District of Central Okanagan, $40,000 each for the City of Penticton, $40,000 for the City of West ѻý, and the District of Coldstream.
“Itѻý vital that communities have clear evacuation routes and dependable notification systems to keep people safe in the event of an emergency,” minister of emergency management Kelly Greene said.
“These projects will improve the information available to communities, residents, and first responders so they can act quickly and protect people when the need arises,” Greene said.
Announcement of the funding comes in the midst of what has been, so far, a relatively quiet wildfire season in ѻý There are 69 wildfires burning across the province though none are considered to be ‘wildfires of note’ by the BC Wildfire Service.
So far in 2025, 606 wildfires have started in ѻý burning a total of 722,000 ha of land. By comparison, 2.8 million ha of land were burned in 2023, the most destructive year for wildfires on record in ѻý
Wildfire-related evacuations can be chaotic affairs as flames move suddenly toward populated areas. In 2023, about 30,000 people were ordered to leave their homes in West ѻý and surrounding areas as a result of the massive McDougall Creek fire.
Some details of the Okanagan specific projects funded this week:
- $160,000 to the RDOS to improve GIS mapping and evacuation route planning specifically for the communities of Summerland, Osoyoos, and Keremeos
- $40,000 for Penticton to update evacuation route planning with mapping, traffic data, and alternative transport options
- $40,000 for West ѻý to review alternate roads and exit routes for the Glenrosa neighborhood
- $40,000 for Coldstream to better plan for evacuation of people and livestock from rural areas