Last Updated: Monday, July 20, 2009 | 1:22 PM PT
Some residents of West Kelowna are anxiously awaiting word on the condition of their homes, after three forest fires forced the evacuation of more than 11,000 people from the Okanagan community in the southern Interior of B.C. over the weekend.Police gave the residents only minutes to leave on Saturday when the fires first broke out, and many left pets and valuable possessions behind as they fled for emergency shelters and the homes of family and friends.
So far officials have only said that three homes were destroyed in the Glenrosa fire, and refused to comment on the state of any other homes.
At a news conference on Monday at noon, officials said crews were still inspecting homes in the lower Glenrosa area and would be able to provide specific information to people about their homes later at an unspecified time.
B.C. Public Safety Minister Kash Heed said he had flown over the affected area Monday morning and called the damage devastating. News media were being scheduled to get an escorted view of the area during the afternoon.
Meanwhile, RCMP said they were conducting roving patrols of the evacuated areas and were taking down the names and details of anyone they encountered, but there were no reports of looting.
Several people also failed to stop at police roadblocks and were issued tickets, but no police were injured in the incidents, they said.
Highway 97 remained closed through the West Kelowna area, but Heed said opening it would be a priority when conditions were safe. An alternative route using back roads on the east side of the lake along Highway 33 and Forest Service Road 201 was opened to the public on the weekend.
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