Kelowna RCMP are seeking assistance in solving the Knox Mountain wildfire that caused chaos on Canada Day.
On Thursday, police issued a statement asking for the public’s help as they continue to investigate the long-weekend blaze that torched 6.5 hectares of parkland.
RCMP believe the fire was human-caused.
Anyone who lives in the Knox Mountain area and witnessed any suspicious activity or has video footage on July 1 between noon, is asked to contact the police at 250-762-3300 and reference file number 2023-37249.
Kelowna RCMP released a map of the Knox Mountain area. Areas shaded in green are considered places with direct sightlines of the fire. Police say the public could potentially have video footage of any suspicious activity. Areas in red were not within the fire’s sightlines.
Police said the locations with the best angles are bounded by the following streets:
- Eastern boundary: Richter Street
- Southern boundary: Clement Avenue
- Western boundary: Okanagan Lake, Manhattan Point
- Northern boundary: Central Avenue
The fire quickly grew after first being reported on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m., spreading to two hectares and then 6.5 ha before crews got the upper hand.
“While the fire is now under control, we would like to remind our residents that this is still an active fire and in areas the fire is no longer burning, there are still potential hazards,” said Kelowna Fire Department deputy fire chief Sandra Follack.
“We appreciate the public’s patience and for helping with firefighting efforts by remaining away from the areas of Knox Mountain Park that were part of the active fire as crews continue fire suppression efforts.”
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