West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund said on Monday one of the crew members battling the wildfire blaze will become a Canadian citizen from behind the front lines.."Today he was scheduled to become a Canadian citizen and of course, he wasn't able to attend the ceremony," Brolund said..Brolund said the man, whose name was not mentioned, will attend the ceremony while continuing to fight the fire.."What an important thing and what a massive sacrifice to make," Brolund said.."He's gonna do it by Zoom from behind the front lines. And I don't know where he's from. What I do know is that he is gonna be from Canada and that just gives me goosebumps to tell that story.".Brolund said the main challenge on Monday has been air quality.."It is choking," Brolund said..Brolund said more than 50 structures are confirmed fully or partially destroyed by the McDougall Creek fire in West Kelowna.."We're not done yet and the most damaged neighbourhoods are still to come," Brolund said..Smoke is now blanketing much of the province, prompting air quality advisories and special weather statements..Brolund said finding out exactly how many structures are lost has been challenging because some address markers were destroyed by the fire.According to Brrlund street signs have melted, while downed power lines, ruined roads and fallen trees have made it unsafe to enter some areas describing hurricane-like conditions.."Trees were ripped out by their roots. The force to make that happen is incredible," Brolund said..Brolund did have some good news for residents, saying no structures have been lost in the Smith Creek, Tallus Ridge, Shannon Lake, Lenz Road Trailer Park and the Rose Valley area..The BC Wildfire Service also said Monday it has implemented an Area Restriction Order for the vicinity of the Schofield Creek wildfire (N22508), which originated approximately 45 km east of Invermere.."This area restriction reflects the need to protect the public in areas where fire suppression activities are taking place," the BC Wildfire Service said.."This restriction takes effect immediately and will remain in effect until noon (PDT) on October 15, or until rescinded.".The BC Wildfire Service also said under this Order and section 11(2) of the Wildfire Act, a person must not remain in or enter the restricted area without the prior written authorization of an official designated for the purposes of the Wildfire Act, unless the person:.1) First receives written authorization from an official designated for the purposes of the Wildfire Act, or.2) Enters the area only in the course of:.travelling to or from his or her principal residence that is not under an evacuation order;using a highway as defined in the Transportation Act;travelling as a person acting in an official capacity as defined in s.56 of the Wildfire Act; ortravelling for the purpose of supporting wildfire suppression or enforcement patrol activities..This Order is subject to and subordinate to any applicable evacuation orders made under the.Emergency Program Act.Failure to comply with Section 11 restricted area requirements may result in a violation ticket of $1,150, the BC Wildfire Service also said..Road closures and area restrictions are subject to change depending on fire activity..The Southeast Fire Centre extends from the US border in the south to Mica Dam in the north, and from the Okanagan Highlands and Monashee Mountains in the west to the BC-Alberta border in the east..READ MORE: WATCH: BC officials say drones in fire zone are unwelcome.Wildfire tourists and drone operators are being told to stay away from BC..BC officials say they are unwelcome, as fast moving and unpredictable forest fires rage in the province..The government said on Saturday drone operators could actually impede the work of firefighters..On Saturday, the BC RCMP said it had multiple reports of drones in the wildfire area.."We are seeing drones in the area and we've had some multiple reports this morning through fire chiefs," the BC RCMP said.."They are affecting our firefighting efforts. If a drone is in the area, you will ground a helicopter in that airspace, so it is illegal to fly a personal drone in a situation where we are fighting fires."
