An evacuation order has been issued for the entire village of Slocan at the southern end of Slocan Lake, home to about 380 people, effective 8 a.m. PT Sunday, due to increasing fire activity from the Ponderosa wildfire, now mapped at 6.3 square kilometers, and the Mulvey Creek wildfire, at 10.6 square kilometers.
An updated estimate from the Regional District of Central Kootenay on Sunday morning showed that 867 properties in the Slocan Lake wildfire complex, which includes Slocan and surrounding areas, were under an evacuation order.
The announcement comes in response to advisories from the BC Wildfire Service, which expects warming and drying conditions as well as increased winds in the coming days, said Dan Elliott, communications officer for the RDCK.
Evacuees are being directed to head south to the Emergency Support Services reception centre at Selkirk College near Castlegar, BC. Slocan is approximately 145 km east of Kelowna in southeastern BC.
Smoke from the Mulvey Creek wildfire is seen in BC’s Central Kootenay region (BC Wildfire Service/X)
“We understand that everyone is frustrated, nervous and stressed in these situations, so we try to give residents as much information and time as possible so they can prepare for their departure,” Elliott told CBC News.
Due to the Aylwin Creek forest fire, the RDCK had previously ordered the evacuation of properties in the nearby village of Silverton, about 28 kilometers north of Slocan.
A Saturday alert from several health authorities warns that communities in the Southern Interior and the Kootenays are or are likely to be affected by smoke from the wildfires in the next few days.
“People with underlying medical conditions, respiratory infections such as COVID-19, older adults, pregnant women and infants, children and sensitive individuals are more likely to experience health effects from smoke exposure,” the bulletin said.
Slocan Mayor Jessica Lunn said locals had been preparing for their departure for four days, but acknowledged there was a lot of fear and stress in the community.
“It’s a unique situation where we had a thunderstorm, lightning striking the area and so many fires breaking out in the middle of the region,” she told CBC News. “It really feels like we’re surrounded.”
Cool, wet weather helps fight wildfires in BC
Meanwhile, wildfire officials said BC’s danger level is improving thanks to rainfall and cooler temperatures in many areas. However, health officials said smoke clouds are expected in southeastern parts of the province through the weekend.
A situation update from the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says that fire development on some of the larger fires has decreased and cool rain showers are expected for Sunday in the western half of the province, also reaching parts of the interior.
Since Saturday afternoon, about 385 fires have raged across the province, including six that are considered “notable” because they pose a danger to people or property or are highly visible.
“Half of the fires currently burning are out of control, which means we expect them to spread further,” said Erika Berg, BCWS spokeswoman.
“But the other half of that is either contained or under control, which speaks to our progress in containment, the work being done both on the ground and the little help that Mother Nature is giving us.”
In addition, some evacuation orders and warnings have been downgraded, which is further encouraging signs regarding the wildfire situation, she said.
“Despite a number of downgrades and lifting of evacuation orders, communities across the province continue to be affected by wildfires,” the BCWS said in a recent statement.
The forest fire service said crews are continuing to work on the Antler Creek wildfire in the province’s Cariboo region and that the fire’s progression “has slowed in recent days due to successful firefighting efforts and worsening weather.”
Emergency crews are making “good progress” in containing the 55-square-kilometre fire on the Dogtooth Forest Service Road near Golden, BC, which destroyed up to six homes in the area earlier this week.
The service said crews are working with local fire departments to contain the fire on the east side of the Columbia River, while helicopters continue to fly near the fire perimeter.
The wildfire at Old Man Lake in Sooke Potholes Regional Park poses no threat to land or watersheds and is not expected to do so, according to the regional district. (BC Wildfire Service)
Kimberly Kelly, information officer for the Coastal Fire Centre, says significant progress has been made in containing the Old Man Lake wildfire in Sooke Potholes Regional Park.
“The western portion of the fire along the Sooke River is almost 100 percent contained,” she said. “There has been some growth on the east side of the fire.”
The fire, located nine kilometres north of Sooke, is not believed to pose a threat to the community at this time, Kelly said.
The city of Golden said in an update that the weather in the area remained stable, but warned residents that conditions could change quickly.
It said 28 properties on the west side of the river remained under an evacuation order, while more than 1,000 properties in the area remained on alert.
