Community Update: Westside Road Reopening for Local Through Traffic Only

Update as of 9:00pm, August 16^th, 2026

Westside Road will reopen between Komasket Road and Simla Road for Local through traffic only beginning, 2100 Hours (9PM), August 16^th, 2026.

Please note: Evacuation Orders remain in place for properties within the fire affected area along Westside Road. Reopening the road does not change those Orders or provide access to properties and areas that remain closed.

Motorists travelling through the area must remain on Westside Road and continue through without stopping. Where practical, motorists are encouraged to continue using the southern route to reduce traffic through the affected area.

While Westside Road is reopening, safety work continues. Crews, emergency personnel, utility workers and heavy equipment will be operating along and around the roadway. Motorists should expect delays, be prepared to stop or wait or expect intermittent closures while this work is underway. Please slow down, follow all traffic controls and directions from personnel, and give crews the space they need to work safely.

Side roads and access points to individual properties also remain closed due to ongoing assessments and safety hazards. Do not travel around barricades, enter closed roads or attempt to access properties that remain under Evacuation Order.

As a reminder, by order of Band Council Resolution, OKIB Range Lands remain closed to all unauthorized persons until further notice. The BCR also prohibits unauthorized people from stopping, parking or congregating along Westside Road where it passes through OKIB reserve lands or within designated emergency response areas.

We also ask everyone travelling through this area to remember what our community has experienced. Some families have lost their homes, and others have not yet been able to return to or see their properties. Please respect their privacy. Do not stop to view or photograph damaged homes and properties, enter private property or share images of someone else’s loss without their permission.

We know reopening Westside Road is important for residents who have been waiting for access through the area. This is an important step, but it is not a full reopening of the affected areas. Please respect the restrictions that remain in place and allow crews to continue the work necessary to make further re-entry possible.

Continue to monitor official OKIB channels for updates on Evacuation Orders, side-road access and re-entry.