Thousands of residents have been evacuated from their homes in Kelowna. Picture: (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck)

A JERSEY couple who emigrated to Canada 15 years ago are hoping that forest fires raging in their area of British Columbia will not reach their home.

Roy and Nicola Newington live in Kelowna, 217 miles east of Vancouver. They have been monitoring the fires, which have so far forced the evacuation of 17,000 homes.

In her internet blog, Mrs Newington (46) says that three separate fires have been coming closer to her home and she has made a list of what she may want to grab in the event of an evacuation.

Mr and Mrs Newington, whose parents live in Jersey, have three children, Leif (17), Kell (13) and Sven (11). Mr Newington is a former Customs officer. He has two brothers living in the Island and his wife, a former Jersey College for Girls student, has a sister living here.

Having given an account of the last few days, from when the first fire was spotted to how it quickly grew, Mrs Newington concludes: ‘It is an anxious time: you want to check the progress of the fire(s) on the news; you find yourself setting your priorities when it comes to what to take and what to leave; and you consider how you’d feel if the home you’ve lived in for so long was burned down.

‘Memories are still strong of the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park fire, which was probably the worst fire (as far as area and houses destroyed) that British Columbia has ever seen.’