When every second counts: Planning, practice, and partnership in community emergency preparedness

Few in Kelowna will soon forget the chaotic summer of 2023. 

It began on Canada Day, when a wildfire tore through Knox Mountain and quickly grew into a 6.5-hectare blaze, forcing the evacuation of 450 homes. Then, on August 15, the McDougall Creek fire ignited just west of the City of West Kelowna. What started as an isolated wildfire rapidly intensified, and embers from the blaze jumped across Okanagan Lake, sparking additional fires in Kelowna and Lake Country. 

These fast-moving wildfires overwhelmed firefighting resources across the Okanagan and pushed emergency response systems to their limits. For the thousands of residents forced from their homes, the experience was a stark reminder of how quickly life can change—and how critical it is to be prepared to act without hesitation. 

The Central Okanagan is in a wildfire-prone environment. Communities like the City of Kelowna must remain vigilant and prepared to respond swiftly when emergency strikes. With this commitment to community-wide emergency preparedness in mind, the Kelowna Fire Department (KFD), in partnership with the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC), conducted a planned evacuation drill in the neighbourhoods of Wilden and Magic Estates on Saturday, October 25.  

As two of the five neighbourhoods most directly affected by the 2023 wildfires, Wilden and Magic Estates were chosen to take part in the exercise to reinforce the importance of readiness and resilience. The drill served as a valuable opportunity to test evacuation procedures, engage residents, and strengthen collaboration amongst emergency response agencies. 

Roughly 75 neighbourhood households participated in the drill.  The emergency exercise had participants receive a simulated evacuation order from the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) with instructions on specified evacuation routes, depending upon evacuation zone, with a final muster point at Prospera Place. 

“It’s one thing to have a plan on paper; it’s another to have practiced that plan,” said Dwight Seymour, Kelowna’s fire chief. “By staging this live drill, we are testing assumptions, validating plans, and helping residents fully understand their roles during an evacuation. Preparing to respond during wildfires and other emergencies takes practice, both at a household and community-wide level.”  

Why community emergency preparedness matters now more than ever 

Experience has shown that wildfires can occur in a moment’s notice and can escalate quickly.  While our City’s emergency response and fire services staff are always at the ready to respond, the recent evacuation drill allowed residents to also test out their own household emergency plans. 

According to Brittany Seibert, the City’s emergency management program manager, “Emergency preparedness isn’t just a checklist—it’s a mindset. When wildfires strike, having a plan, knowing your routes, and being ready to leave at a moment’s notice can be the difference between chaos and calm, risk and safety.” 

In the future, the KFD’s Emergency Management Program hopes to expand and plan more community evacuation drills as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen emergency readiness and overall public safety. 

A partnership in research and regional readiness 

 Community participants experienced firsthand what it’s like to undergo an emergency evacuation. In addition to the valuable lessons learned,  the planned drill also contributed important data to a study led by the National Research Council of Canada study. The study aims to better understand public behaviour and decision-making during a wildfire evacuation, and examining traffic flow, evacuation timing and responses to emergency orders.  

Additionally, KFD is taking proactive steps to reduce wildfire risk in the Central Okanagan, following the Regional Emergency Response Plan. One key strategy is prescribed burns in selected areas. After months of planning with the BC Wildfire Service, crews recently began burning an 11-hectare forested area near Knox Mountain. These burns help reduce the risk of wildfire to nearby neighbourhoods and restore the local ecosystem.  

Prepare for wildfire emergencies before they happen! 

Within your household and across your community, there are many simple steps you can take to develop your own emergency readiness and reduce wildfire risk: 

• Ensure your household has an up-to-date emergency plan and a grab-and-go kit (documents, medications, water, basic supplies). 
• Use this FireSmart Emergency Wildfire Preparedness Checklist to check every box when preparing your family and your home ahead of a wildfire emergency. 
• Register for the City’s FireSmart Community Chipping Program this spring and get free curbside pick-up of highly flammable plant and shrub materials 
• Visit the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations website to register for email emergency alerts and receive up to date information on local emergency events.  

For more information on emergency preparedness and what you can do to help prepare for wildfires and other emergencies, visit: kelowna.ca/fire and FireSmart Kelowna.