Information Bulletin - September 3, 2024

September 3, 2024

Emergency Operations Centre
3:30 PM PST

*This will be our final information bulletin

Currently there are no active Evacuation Orders or Evacuation Alerts in the RDCK.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) remains in regular communication with BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) to monitor the fires within the region. There are currently 76 wildfires in the Southeast Fire Centre, none of which are classified as out of control; 59 wildfires are being held and 17 are under control. For the most accurate and up to date information go to the  BCWS website and the RDCK website.

Resiliency Centres

Three Resiliency Centres remain open to assist residents who were evacuated due to the wildfires in our region. These centres are dedicated to support the community’s recovery and will provide essential information, resources, and connections to NGOs offering well-being support for those returning home. This is the final week for the resiliency centres. If you need further support, reach out to the RDCK EOC at 250.352.7701.

Two Disaster Psychosocial Support (DPS) members will rotate between the three Resiliency Centres. These trained professionals are available to assist residents in coping with the immediate effects of the wildfire and offering psychological first aid. This includes providing practical assistance, helping residents manage stress, and connecting them with additional mental health resources as needed. They are there to support the well-being and resilience of those impacted by the wildfires. Once established, their schedules will be posted on the RDCK website www.rdck.ca/eocinfo.

Silverton Memorial Hall, 203 Lake Ave.

September 6 – 9:30 am to 1:30 pm *At the Silverton Community Market

Argenta Community Hall, 1024 Argenta Johnsons Landing Rd.

September 4 – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

W.E. Graham Community Service Society (Learning Centre), 1001 Harold St.

September 4 – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
September 5 – 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Road Closures

Despite the Evacuation Order being rescinded, the Glacier Creek FSR on the east side of Duncan Lake in Electoral Area D remains CLOSED under order from the Selkirk Natural Resource District. The area continues to be impacted by the hazards of wildfire.

Returning Home After an Evacuation Order

The RDCK advises all residents to read through the information in this re-entry document on what to do when you return home after a wildfire.

For those residents who lost power for a significant period of time, they could be returning home to fridges and freezers full of spoiled food. Some homeowners may also find their fridges and freezers have stopped working, due to blown compressors as a result of power surges when power returns. Read this document for more information on how to remove food and prepare your fridge or freezer, as well as instruction on how to minimize wildlife attraction.

For residents that were unable to utilize the collection service for damaged refrigerator units provided by the RDCK, the Christian Aid Ministry has volunteered to help transport damaged fridges and freezers to the landfill. Please call 250-254-2417 to make arrangements for assistance. Please note, fridges and freezers must be cleaned out before the Christian Aid Ministry can pick them up.

A reminder to residents that all RDCK transfer stations and landfills accept residential (non-commercial) appliances for recycling free of charge.

As the work continues to shift from wildfire response to recovery, the RDCK recognizes that some residents are concerned about the impacts of wildfires to their water systems. While the RDCK shares in that concern, the responsibility is with the owner of the water system to ensure its quality. The RDCK has created an information sheet to try and facilitate the necessary support for water system owners. 

Slocan Lake Complex wildfire

The Slocan Lake Complex includes the Komonko Creek wildfire, Mulvey Creek wildfire, Nemo Creek wildfire, and Ponderosa wildfire. A complex is created when multiple wildfires are managed by a single Incident Management Team, and resources and equipment are shared between all incidents in the complex.

As of Wednesday, August 28 all four fires are being held by BCWS. As well the Area restriction for the Slocan Lake Complex was rescinded.

BCWS has provide this document to help understand the timeline for rehabilitation for those areas affected by wildfire.

Wildfire updates can be found under the Response tab of the incident pages on the Wildfire Map.

Komonko Creek wildfire, N51210 (merged with Aylwin Creek wildfire N51065)

On the recommendation of the BCWS the RDCK EOC has rescinded the Evacuation Alert for all properties impacted by the Komonko Creek wildfire. Click for more details:

Nemo Creek wildfire, N51103

On the recommendation of the BCWS the RDCK EOC has rescinded the Evacuation Alert for all properties impacted by the Nemo Creek wildfire. Click for more details:

Mulvey Creek wildfire, N51117

On the recommendation of the BCWS the RDCK EOC has rescinded the Evacuation Order and Evacuation Alert for the Mulvey Creek wildfire. Click for more details:

Ponderosa wildfire, N51069

On the recommendation of the BCWS the RDCK EOC has rescinded the Evacuation Alert for residents impacted by the Ponderosa wildfire. Click for more details:

Lavina Complex

The Lavina Complex includes the Argenta Creek wildfire, Lower Meadow Mountain wildfire, and Howser Ridge 3 wildfire. A complex is created when multiple wildfires are managed by a single Incident Management Team, and resources and equipment are shared between all incidents in the complex. As of August 29 the Argenta Creek wildfire and Howser Ridge 3 are categorized as “Being Held” by BCWS, while the Lower Meadow Mountain wildfire has been extinguished.

Wildfire updates can be found under the Response tab of the incident pages on the Wildfire Map.

Argenta Creek wildfire, N71058 (merged with Glacier Creek wildfire, N71098)

On the recommendation of the BCWS the RDCK EOC has rescinded the Evacuation Order for Glacier Creek FSR. Click for more details:

On July 27 BCWS merged the Glacier Creek wildfire information with the Argenta Creek wildfire.

General Information

For more information on the wildfires refer to BCWS website, BCWS Facebook and BCWS X.

Visit www.rdck.ca/eocinfo for the complete details of all current evacuation orders and alerts. Follow the RDCK on Facebook and X. Affected residents with any questions can contact the RDCK Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at 250-352-7701.

Click here to view a print-friendly PDF version.

The content on this page was last updated September 3 2024 at 8:24 AM

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