Campers at Bear Creek Provincial Park in West Kelowna remained blissfully unaware of the nearby Quilpituk Creek wildfire, which was only 6 km from the park. The fire, discovered on August 1, has scorched 1,139 hectares and triggered evacuation orders for 2,648 properties, with an additional 321 properties under alert.
Despite the expanding evacuation zone, no warning signs were posted in the park, and campsite reservations remained open. Some campers learned about the fire only from journalists and decided to leave, while others said they had received no information from park staff but were prepared to evacuate within 15 minutes.