Forest Fires in Okanagan

Okanagan's hot summers are characterized by low humidity and clear blue skies. Although this dry weather is enjoyed by many tourists, it also gives birth to forest fire hazards.

It was August of 2003 when Okanagan experienced its worst ever forest fire. As per the facts the final size of the firestorm was over 250 square kilometres (61,776 acres). Many people who resided in the suburbs of Kelowna had to evacuate their houses.

My husband who was a Kelowna resident at that time recalls hundreds of homes were destroyed and millions of dollars of property lost. It was his worst summer in Kelowna and by far the costliest fire the city had seen in years. No wonder construction and labour costs rose dramatically in Kelowna after 2003 because of the need to replace so many homes that were destroyed by fire.

We cannot control mother nature but both residents and visitors can be vigilant about a few things such as extinguishing campfires properly and being careful about cigarette butts. Let's hope we have all learned from the tragedy of 2003 and we never see fires ravage our beautiful city again.

Image credit: [ec.gc.ca]

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Forest Fires in Okanagan

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