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More than 600 fridges/freezers hauled from White Rock Lake fire affected homes

Time is running out for North Westside residents needing to have theirs picked up
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Smoke settles into the valleys on the Westside from the White Rock Lake wildfire on Monday, Sept. 13. (Geoff Wright photo)

Hundreds of fridges and freezers are making their way to the dump following the catastrophic White Rock Lake wildfire.

The Regional District of Central Okanagan has already hauled approximately 600 of the food-storing appliances since residents were allowed back home.

“We expect to collect a few hundred more before the service ends on Friday, Sept. 17,” manager of engineering services Travis Kendel said.

North Westside Road residents affected by the fire have until noon Thursday, Sept. 16, to call 1-855-238-9350 to book to have the fridges and freezers hauled away.

Residents can drop off fridges or freezers to the gravel pit above the North Westside Transfer Station on Sugar Loaf Mountain Forest Service Road no later than noon on Friday.

“We’re pleased to offer our communities three more days of free curbside pickup collection,” Kendel said. “After Friday, any uncollected fridges of freezers will need to be emptied and properly disposed by their owners.”

Residents are asked to not put fridges or freezers outside until just before their pick-up time to avoid attracting wildlife.

After Friday, fridges and freezers that are cleaned and emptied of all contents can be brought to the Westside Residential Waste Disposal and Recycling Centre, Planet Earth Recycling or the Glenmore Landfill.

They can also be saved for free drop off at the Fall Bulky Collection Event at the North Westside Road Transfer Station in mid October. The station on Sugar Loaf Mountain Forest Service Road will continue to remain open daily 8 a.m. until 12 noon for the month of September.

The extended hours are designed to give North Westside residents additional access to the facility and support clean up and recovery work. To accommodate the extra material at the site, the transfer station will be closed each afternoon to deal with the influx of waste and make space for the following day. The facility will return to normal operating hours Oct. 1.

The North Westside Rd Transfer Stations is set up to receive unlimited volumes of bagged household waste and non-burnt yard waste. The transfer station cannot take building materials, furniture, or large appliances, such as fridges and freezers. Hazardous material and demolition waste such as wood from damaged structures or burnt vehicles cannot be accepted.

The North Westside Transfer Station is only open to RDCO residents, property owners and tenants.

READ MORE: White Rock Lake wildfire no longer ‘under control’

READ MORE: Campfire ban continues for Central Okanagan


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Jennifer Smith

About the Author: Jennifer Smith

Vernon has always been my home, and I've been working at The Morning Star since 2004.
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