WEST KELOWNA – A growing fire on Westside Road has forced the evacuation of residences near Shelter Cove between La Casa and Lake Okanagan Resort.

The fire is now estimated at 30 hectares and growing at Rank Four, a highly vigorous surface fire and torching trees, thanks to heavy winds in the area.

CORD Emergency has ordered residents to evacuate and is performing a tactical evacuation of properties along Westside Road near Shelter Cove.

B.C. Wildfire Service and Wilson’s Landing Fire Department crews are on the scene fighting the fire. It was ignited yesterday by lightning and flared up this evening with gusty winds.

Residents from 4401 to 4163 Westside Road are being evacuated by RCMP. Just before 12:30 a.m. more homes were added to the evacuation order to approximately 70 homes along Westside Road including properties from 3985 Westside Road north to La Casa Resort (but not including La Casa) and the following roads: Terrace Way, Chalet Crescent, Condo Court, Denison Road, Shelter Cove Road, Central Okanagan Road and Deighton Road.

Residents there are asked to register at the Emergency Support Services Reception Centre located in the Westside Lions Community Hall, 2466 Main Street in West Kelowna. Only those residents within the Evacuation Order area should register for assistance by volunteers with food, lodging and clothing needs. Volunteers with the Canadian Animal Disaster Response Team (CDART) are on hand to help evacuees that have animals.

No properties are on an Evacuation Alert. Neither La Casa Resort nor Lake Okanagan Resort are affected or under the Evacuation Order or Alert.

People are requested to stay away from the immediate area and RCMP is doing traffic control.

The Emergency Operation Centre has been activated to support crews in the field responding to this incident.

Drive B.C. says Westside Road is closed in both directions.

New information will be released to the public through the media and cordemergency.ca as soon as it becomes available.

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.