UPDATE: Lake Country declares local state of emergency, more evac alerts issued

(UPDATE: Aug. 19 @ 2:40 pm) - An evacuation alert has been issued for properties in Lake Country as a local state of emergency has been declared.

Residents west of Highway 97 and south of Oceola Road, to the existing evacuation boundary at Beaver Lake Road, should be prepared to leave their property at anytime.

The evacuation order remains for 9751 Chase Rd, 9891 Chase Rd, 9851 Chase Rd and 9767 Chase Rd.

West Kelowna declared a state of emergency on Thursday, and Kelowna and BC declared a state of emergency on Friday.

The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations map can be found here.

(Original story: Aug. 19 @ 8 am) - Conditions may have been calmer on Friday night and into Saturday morning, but there was still no stopping the Lake Country wildfire.

Estimated at 174 hectares around 6 pm Friday, the fire continued to spread and wreak havoc on structures in the area.

The Okanagan Fire Scanner (OFS) Twitter account, which, as the name suggests, monitors emergency scanners through the region, reported that crews were engaged trying to save several structures in the Okanagan Centre area.

NASA thermal imaging shows that the fire spread all the way to the lake in a pair of spots, including Okanagan Centre, and OFS reported several structures burning on Maddock Avenue.

BCWS mapping as of 6 pm Friday showed the fire approaching Glenmore Road North, but the NASA imaging suggests the fire crossed that road overnight and encroached on Hwy 97.

Around 10:30 pm, large flames could be seen to the west of Hwy 97 and Commonwealth Road.

Lake Country wildfire viewed from Commonwealth Rd and Hwy 97. #BCWildfire #LakeCountry pic.twitter.com/5NJHFf94AV

— KelownaNow (@KelownaNow) August 19, 2023

Several hundred properties remain on evacuation alert due to the Lake Country fire this morning, spanning down to McKinley Beach to the south and up through Okanagan Centre to the north.

The order currently stretches east to Bond Road in one area and all the way to Hwy 97 in another section closer to Duck Lake.

Evacuation alerts are in place as well, and you can learn more about all of them through the CORD map.

KelownaNow will use this story to update information on the Lake Country wildfire throughout the day. To see our full coverage from Friday, click this link.

_{Thumbnail photo contributed.}