It has now been one week since the wind picked up and the destruction began.

Last Thursday, the relatively-small McDougall Creek wildfire, which was considered several kilometres away from West Kelowna, started heading east and picked up steam fast.

Fuelled by strong winds coming out of a heatwave and incredibly dry earth, the fire grew exponentially and crested the hill above Westside Road.

Throughout the night, the seriousness of the situation became frighteningly apparent to the many who sat helplessly and watched from various viewpoints around the Central Okanagan.
 

Thousands left their homes as the fire rushed down towards Okanagan Lake and headed north, scorching earth, destroying property and lighting up the then-dark night sky.

Eventually, it jumped the lake and created a pair of wildfires in Kelowna and Lake Country that produced their own set of hardships and damage.

While the situation is still very dynamic and active, things have improved significantly and people on both sides of the lake are slowly beginning to return home.

All three fires, the McDougall Creek fire especially, will leave a massive scar on the Central Okanagan and it’s important to remember that there’s a lot of work to be done.

In recent days, the BC Wildfire Service has posted photos that offer a peek into the situation on the front lines of the fire that has become a tragic part of West Kelowna’s history.

As you scroll through them today, it’s important to remember, as you understandably strive to return to a sense of normalcy, that these firefighters’ hard work prevented the situation from being far worse.

And they will still be out there working for many days, and even weeks, to come.

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service

Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service