‘It was basically an apocalypse:’ West Kelowna resident relives the start of wildfire

Wildfires continue to burn throughout West Kelowna and the Okanagan.

On Friday night, residents in West Kelowna were given an evacuation order at around 6 p.m., but just a couple hours later it was downgraded to an alert.

Ted Farr is a news anchor in Kelowna and was formerly the program director at CKOM/CJME. He said it led to a very confusing day.

“There is a confusing situation going on here. (On Friday) night, we got the evacuation order in our neighbourhood,” said Farr. “Then a couple hours later, the emergency people rescinded that order and changed it to an alert.”

Farr said he and his family returned home Saturday morning alongside some of his neighbours.

According to Farr, it’s so smoky outside that if you go out for too long, it makes your throat itchy.

“We have debris falling from the sky. Our pool is filled with ash,” said Farr. “We’re finding burnt embers in our lawn and that’s what most people are concerned about.”

Residents in Kelowna have been receiving guides on what to pack in a to-go bag.

“When the rubber hits the road, when it’s time to go and you have to pack, it’s amazing how your mind goes blank,” explained Farr. “You want to remember things like dog food because you’re taking your pet with you, and you’re looking at your pet and it’s looking back at you saying, ‘Don’t leave me. Something bad is happening.’ ”

Ron Nugent is a West Kelowna resident and explains what he saw watching the fire as it unfolded on Thursday.

“The fire started on our side of the mountain on Thursday and we just sat on the deck and watched the horror as the whole mountain was burning,” said Nugent. “Then it moved northeast along the lake at a rapid pace right across from downtown Kelowna. It was basically an apocalypse.”

Nugent grew up in Saskatchewan and he said he’s never seen anything like this before in his life.

“I lived in Saskatchewan for 47 years and I couldn’t even believe what was happening,” said Nugent.

The damage extends beyond just Kelowna according to Nugent.

“Lake Okanagan Resort has been around there for years and it was just a massive resort, just a beautiful place. (It) has been burnt right down to the ground,” said Nugent.

The fire chief of West Kelowna says an “army” of firefighters from across the province has managed to earn a reprieve for the city in the battle against a devastating wildfire over the last several hours.

Fire chief Jason Brolund told a Saturday morning briefing that the previous night’s battle got a boost from calmer and cooler conditions, but the fight continues to expand.