The Regional District of Central Kootenay issued two new evacuation alerts over the weekend for the Syringa Provincial Park and Deer Park areas. The Syringa Creek and Deer Creek wildfires are both estimated at over 400 hectares in size. The area restriction has been expanded due to the Deer Creek fire. Danger trees have been falling and making road passage unsafe. An area restriction includes the areas of north of Rialto Forest Service Road, Broad Water Road, Deer Park Forest Service Road, up to Mount Stanley and west of Oak Road.
On the opposite shore of Lower Arrow Lake, the Bulldog Mountain wildfire is currently estimated at 605 hectares. The evacuation alert from Renata to Shields is still in effect. The Blazed Creek wildfire west of Creston remains at over 5,600 hectares in size. Highway 3 is still reduced to single lane alternating traffic with the possibility of unscheduled delays.
The RDCK says they were also notified of a fire near the Galena Trail between Three Forks and New Denver. There is no formal evacuation alert in effect at this time, however the local fire department has warned people in the area.
The RDCK also says that the Emergency Operations Centre will be engaged in advanced planning, led by BC Emergency Management which will help prepare for possible evacuations. That could mean people coming to the area, for example from Kimberly, or evacuees from this region.
