School is for evacuees
Photo: SD23
Several people evicted from their homes due to the wild fire at White Rock Lake have literally returned to school.
With housing strained across the region and the number of evacuees rising, both UBC Okanagan and the Central Okanagan School District have opened their doors to evacuees.
School District 23. Kevin Kaardel says it is not uncommon for the district to be asked to provide cribs for those in need of housing.
Most, he says, stay the night while making hotel arrangements or staying with family or friends.
Kaardal said some evacuees were expected at UBCO on Friday night, and when they were full, the school district would provide the Kelowna Secondary.
KSS was typically the local school used in an emergency, with KLO serving as a backup or overflow facility.
An ambulance trailer filled with children’s beds is parked behind KSS.
The school was used for some evacuees from the Brenda Creek Wildfire earlier this year.
The cribs that were set up in the school’s gym have been temporarily removed while the district carries out routine annual ground maintenance, but Kaardal says the work will be halted if necessary.
The evacuation order for properties along Westside Road was expanded early Friday evening. A map of the evacuation area can be found here.
