The B.C. government has secured more than 1,000 hotel rooms in the Okanagan and increased staffing for its evacuee helpline as people leave their homes because of the Bald Range wildfire.
The province said it has block-booked more than 1,000 hotel rooms in Penticton, Kelowna and West Kelowna for evacuees. Nearly 1,000 beds are also available through group lodging in communities across the Okanagan.
Evacuees who need help finding a hotel room or obtaining a referral for group lodging can visit reception centres at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, 273 Power St. in Penticton, or Westbank Lions Community Hall, 2466 Main St. in West Kelowna.
The province said it is working with the tourism and hospitality sector, the federal government and other partners to secure additional accommodation. It is booking more hotel rooms as they become available.
People who have been evacuated and can stay with friends or family are being encouraged to do so.
The province said the BC Evacuee Helpline received a record number of calls from evacuees seeking assistance over the Aug. 8-9 weekend.
Service BC, which operates the helpline, increased staffing twentyfold, according to the province. Additional staff are helping evacuees with BC Services Card identity verification needed to register online for Emergency Support Services.
The province said all outstanding identity-verification requests have been cleared and new requests are being processed as they arrive.
Mobile Service BC Centre units have also been deployed to Penticton and Kelowna to help with identity verification.
The BC Evacuee Helpline can be reached at 1-800-387-4258.
The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness said 13 Emergency Support Services staff and volunteers have been deployed to assist evacuees and the local reception centre in Penticton.
The ministry is also sending emergency management staff to Penticton to assist with Emergency Support Services, early recovery efforts and emergency operations.
