‘It’s gone’: Ranch in West Kelowna destroyed by wildfire, most animals able to escape danger

*A GoFundMe page has been launched to help rebuild Broken Rail Ranch.

The Broken Rail Ranch in West Kelowna is gone.

Broken Rail Ranch, located on Petterson Road near Bear Creek Provincial Park, offers guided trail rides. The owners, Jeff and Crystal Findlay, shared on Instagram late last night that the property was taken over by the McDougall Creek wildfire.

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A post shared by The Broken Rail Ranch Trail Rides (@thebrokenrailranch)

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A post shared by The Broken Rail Ranch Trail Rides (@thebrokenrailranch)

“It’s gone. Thanks to the first responders and police who tried their best,” the ranch said, accompanied by a video of the fire.

After what was a sleepless night for many West Kelowna and Kelowna residents, the ranch said this morning that they were able to get most of their animals to safety.

“I will leave today on a positive note. Thank you to the pilots, firefighters and first responders that tried to stop this raging fire,” the ranch said. “Thank you to the friends and friends of friends who showed up without hesitation to move our beloved animals.”

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Horses, cats, dogs, goats and bunnies had to be moved in a hurry. The only ones left behind were the pigs, as they couldn’t get them to leave.

“I gave them lots of water and food before we left. I can only hope they somehow found a refuge."

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“I believe nothing has been left unburnt. I hope to be proved wrong in the next few days, but the fire storm that chased me out says otherwise.”

The BC Wildfire Service now estimates the fire to be 6,800 hectares in size—more than six times the 1,100-hectare estimate from Thursday afternoon.

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Central Okanagan Emergency Operations confirmed the fire consumed several structures as it spread late Thursday evening.

The current estimate is 80 homes lost in West Kelowna, but officials are expected to provide a more definite number later this morning.