Local fire crews answering the province乌鸦传媒檚 call to help in West Kelowna say it is like 乌鸦传媒渁 war zone乌鸦传媒� in the devastated Okanagan community.

White Rock fire Chief Ed Wolfe said the description was shared during one of the daily updates he乌鸦传媒檚 received from the three-man crew that left the seaside city early Friday (Aug. 18) to lend their skills.

乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檝e been working suppression, structure protection the entire time there so far,乌鸦传媒� Wolfe said Monday of Capt. Doug Smith and firefighters Paul Farrant and Scott Pearson.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a pretty volatile situation, dynamic. It乌鸦传媒檚 been fluid since they乌鸦传媒檝e been there.乌鸦传媒�

The crew is among hundreds of firefighters from across the province that have deployed to the McDougall Creek wildfire, which has grown to more than 11,000 hectares in size and posed an unprecedented challenge over the past weekend in particular.

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In a news conference Monday morning, West Kelowna fire Chief Jason Brolund said at least 50 structures have been confirmed either partially or entirely lost, however, assessment of the most damaged neighbourhoods has yet to come.

He said crews from 乌鸦传媒渄ozens and dozens and dozens乌鸦传媒� of fire departments have been pitching in.

The BC Wildfire Service continues to respond to the McDougall Creek wildfire (K52767) adjacent to West Kelowna, the Walroy Lake wildfire (K52808) adjacent to Glenmore and the Clarke Creek wildfire (K42815) on the west side of Lake Country.

乌鸦传媒� BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo)

When White Rock and Surrey crews got the call to help on Thursday night, it did not come as a surprise.

乌鸦传媒淲e deployed on Friday morning at 0600,乌鸦传媒� Wolfe said.

乌鸦传媒淲e expected to get the call乌鸦传媒� so we were pretty much ready to go. We had a truck pretty much packed up and just waiting for the call, and sure enough, it came.乌鸦传媒�

An exchange crew from the city is lined up to deploy on Wednesday (Aug. 23).

All three of the White Rock firefighters currently in West Kelowna have helped out with wildfires in previous years. Surrey fire crews are also no strangers to lending a hand elsewhere in the province.

White Rock firefighters reflect on wildfire experience

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Deputy fire Chief David Burns said Monday that two four-man crews from halls across Surrey have been deployed to West Kelowna so far; the first headed out Thursday and the second on Sunday (Aug. 20).

Both chiefs said crews will continue to deploy for as long as needed.