Update on Fire Behaviour
We may have a temporary drop in the humidity today, the fuels will continue to dry and the warmer, drier air passing over us will encourage more smoke to make itself known over the next few days and into the weekend. There is potential for the fire to begin to climb the trees again, most likely on areas with some slope.
Re-entry Activity
All alerts for properties in the unincorporated area known as Anglemont have been rescinded to All Clear.
Now that Evacuation Orders have been downgraded to Evacuation Alerts in all other areas, some of the temporary services will now revert back to normal operations now that evacuation orders have been lifted. These include:
Mail
Canada Post will resume postal delivery services to post boxes in the North Shuswap wherever possible. Residents with damaged postal boxes can pick up mail at the Chase Post Office.
Canada Post will also arrange free temporary forwarding of mail for any resident who has structure loss or damage.
Prescription delivery
Residents can now deal directly with their pharmacy to obtain and pick up prescription medication.
Barge and Whitehead Road boat launch
There will be no more barge runs between the Whitehead Road Boat Launch at 4325 Whitehead Road Eagle Bay and boat launch in St. Ives at 2275 Southwind Road.
The Whitehead Road boat launch is now open for public use.
Landfills and Transfer Stations
All CSRD landfills and transfer stations are open for their regular hours. See the CSRD’s Garbage and Recycling page on their website, https://www.csrd.bc.ca/168/Garbage-Recycling
Appliance Disposal
Talk with your insurers about what to do with your home contents including spoiled food, fridges and freezers before you take any action. Insurers sometimes require an inventory or photos.
If you think it’s UNSAFE to open your refrigerator/freezer, or you have been instructed to discard it: Seal the doors shut with duct tape. Label the appliance “CONTAMINATED” in large print. Transport the appliance to specified locations as outlined below:
- SORRENTO - Skimikin Transfer Station (Open Friday to Thursday 10 AM to 4 PM) or the Salmon Arm Landfill (Open 7 Days a Week - 9 AM to 5 PM)
- ANGLEMONT & ST. IVES - Ross Creek Store, located at 6929 Squilax-Anglemont Road. There is also a bin placed in this location for residential garbage.
- LEE CREEK, SCOTCH CREEK CELISTA & MAGNA BAY - The Scotch Creek Transfer Station is open effective on Thursday, September 7, from 8 AM to 2 PM, seven days per week. Ruined fridges and freezers can be dropped off at that site, located at 3508 Squilax-Anglemont Road, Scotch Creek.
If you need help moving your fridge or freezer, please call John Dyck at Christian Aid Ministries at 250-517-0075.
If you have questions, you can contact the Resiliency Centre at 250-833-3400 or attend in person at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, located at 790-16 Street NE, Salmon Arm. The Resiliency Centre is open from 9 AM to 4 PM, seven days a week.
Available services include Service BC, Service Canada, Interior Health, the Red Cross and other community-based organizations aiding in recovery efforts.
Re-entry Safety
Now that evacuation orders have lifted and residents are returning to assess properties, please remember the fire zone remains extremely hazardous, including:
- Ash pits - holes in the ground filled with ash that may contain hot embers
- Danger trees - burned trees and roots that may fall without warning.
- Air quality - hazardous ash or smoke particles
The fire area may look unfamiliar, making it difficult to spot some of the hidden hazards. Do not enter burned structures, burned forest or areas with fencing or barricades indicating hazards until assessed by a professional.
Potential hazards include:
- Chemicals off-gassing and toxic dust that may include asbestos
- Sharp objects, wires and other overhead hazards
- Unstable objects including walls and holes in surfaces.
Some wildfire hazards may remain for years and should be considered with caution. Danger trees can fall without warning, even without a wind, because the roots have burned. Ash pits may be covered by organic material and some are reported to be several feet deep. They are also found under areas where wood was used for structure, such as culverts or landscaping walls. Be very careful, the drought appears to have made ash pits much more significant in the wildfire zone. Both children and adults should stay out of burned forest for the foreseeable future to reduce the risk of injury.
Water should be assumed to be non-drinkable, and should not be consumed until testing has been completed. Information on CSRD-managed water systems as well as other registered systems is available online at drinkingwaterforeveryone.ca.
Properties still on order
While evacuation orders have been lifted through the region, some individual properties remain on evacuation order. Residents with property damage rendering the structure unsafe to enter remain on evacuation order. These properties are listed on the Shuswap Emergency Mapping Dashboard.
Structure Loss
Some additional rapid damage assessments have taken place in the North Shuswap. These were properties that could not be reached by Canada Task Force 1 due to active wildfire or impassable conditions. Unfortunately there has been additional structure loss.
As of September 4, 2023, there are approximately:
- 176 Total Structure Losses
- 50 Partial Structure Damages
Emergency Support Services (ESS) and Resiliency Centre
ESS will remain open until further notice at the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Salmon Arm, located at 790-16 Street NE.
The Resiliency Centre is now open at the same location to provide in-person assistance for all personal recovery activity.
Operating hours for ESS and the Resiliency Centre are 9 AM – 4 PM, seven days a week.
Call ESS at 250-833-3360.
Call the Resiliency Centre at 250-833-3400.
Donations/fundraisers
Call the CSRD: 250-833-3396
People running event-based fundraisers should use the Shuswap Tourism Events Calendar on their website shuswaptourism.ca to help with promotion.
ESS (located at the Fairfield Inn & Suites) is accepting gift cards to assist evacuees. Only gift cards will be accepted at this location. DO NOT bring other items to the Reception Centre. Call 250-833-3396 instead.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Evacuation Status Dashboard
Please visit the Shuswap Emergency Program website to view the interactive map of properties or the Structure Loss Map: https://www.csrd.bc.ca/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1683
BC Wildfire
For the latest updates on the Bush Creek East wildfire (K21633), visit the BC Wildfire Dashboard.
Livestock Assistance
Contact until end-of-day Friday, September 8, at 250-833-3399
Emergency Support Services (ESS) 250-833-3360
Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Information Line
250-833-3350 from 8 AM to 5 PM or email [email protected]
Resiliency Centre 250-833-3400