Jessica Lunn, mayor of Slocan in B.C.’s Kootenay region, said her community is focusing on recovery after a nearby complex of fires forced the evacuations of hundreds of people and destroyed several homes.
Lunn called the losses “heartbreaking,” though residents are happy to be home after the evacuation order was lifted two days ago.
The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) said this week that the 40-square-kilometre Komonko Creek blaze had destroyed or damaged at least five homes and 13 other structures along Highway 6.
That fire is classified as one of four wildfires of note in B.C., meaning it is highly visible with the potential to pose a threat to public safety. It is part of the Slocan fire complex that has also destroyed or damaged five other cabins and outbuildings on the west side of Slocan Lake.
The RDCK has also downgraded an evacuation order that had been in place since July 28 for several hundred residents of the Village of Slocan and the surrounding area, though there is still an alert. Lunn said residents were relieved and excited to return home after being displaced for about two weeks, and the smoke had lifted significantly by Wednesday.
“For the first time, I’m able to get more of a sense of what’s burned and what’s still standing,” she said. “There’s definitely still a lot of hot spots.”
Thundershowers expected
The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said Wednesday that thundershowers are expected to bring some much-needed moisture to several parts of the province.
It said in an update that the moisture will likely arrive in the Rocky Mountain Trench in the northeast, as well as the Southeast Fire Centre.
Fire information officer Morgan Blois said that rain had not yet arrived for the Komoko Creek blaze, but about 10 millimetres of rain is forecast this weekend.
“It is quite typical to see thunder and lightning build up,” Blois said. “It’s actually not localizing over this incident, so I’m not really seeing strikes on this fire, even though sometimes the forecast has shown that there’s a possibility. At this point, that pattern is expected to continue.”
There are just under 400 fires burning in the province on Wednesday afternoon, with around 40 percent of them classified as out of control.
Elsewhere in the province, over 60 fires are burning in the Kamloops Fire Centre, including the notable Calcite Creek and Shetland Creek wildfires.
On Wednesday, the BCWS also said on social media that there have been several incidents of fire suppression activities being halted in the area due to interference by members of the public. It said it may consider implementing restrictions for backcountry areas during the fire season if that helps address the issue.