Several properties under evacuation order as wildfire burns near Kelowna airport

A small wildfire burning near the Kelowna International Airport placed seven properties under evacuation order and more than 100 under alert late Sunday.

The Whelan Creek wildfire started Sunday afternoon in the Ellison area, about nine kilometres northeast of central Kelowna, and grew to just over four hectares, or 0.04 square kilometres, in size by that night.

It was initially classified as out of control, but the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said it was being held as of Sunday evening.

Kelowna RCMP said Sunday that the blaze was burning uphill toward Postill Lake and other nearby lakes with cabins and campsites. Officers carried out tactical evacuations in the Rockface Road, Upper Booth Road and Dead Pine Road areas.

Around 10:30 p.m., the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations said a state of local emergency had been declared. It said seven addresses — almost all on Rockface Road — were under evacuation order and that residents "should expect to be away from their homes overnight."

More than 100 addresses were also placed on evacuation alert.

"We cannot stress enough the importance of staying out of the area," RCMP said in a statement. "Emergency services will not allow members of the general public into the evacuation zone."

Mounties said access in the forested area is limited and encouraged anyone near the lakes to leave as a precaution.

The fire is in the Ellison Fire Department's jurisdiction, said Cali Nessman, a fire information officer with the Kamloops Fire Centre.

"BCWS is supporting with three initial attack crews, two response officers, two helicopters doing bucketing, four air tankers and a bird dog aircraft," Nessman said Sunday. 

The Kelowna Fire Department has been working to keep the fire from advancing toward nearby recreational areas.

The fire is suspected to be human-caused, which the B.C. Wildfire Service said could include both intentional and accidental ignition.