RDEK issues Evacuation Alert west of Fort Steele

The situation around the wildfires near the ʔaq̓am community is constantly evolving. You can find an update on the situation from the morning of Tuesday, July 18 here.

An Evacuation Alert for 23 properties around Campsall Road west of Fort Steele is in effect due to the St Mary River Wildfire.

The Regional District of East Kootenay issues Evacuation Alerts to give people time to prepare so they are ready to leave immediately if an Evacuation Order is issued.

This follows an Evacuation Order being issued for all homes on Mission Road and Mission Wasa Low Road earlier Monday afternoon.

Mission Wasa Low Road, Mission Road homes evacuated due to wildfire

The fire, which is believed to have been caused by downed power lines, has grown to 100 hectares since being discovered Monday in the Kootenay River Indian Reserve no 1, west of Canadian Rockies International Airport.

Several flights were cancelled Monday, the airport has since reopened to commercial airlines.

Find more information from the Regional District of East Kootenay below:

The RDEK has issued an Evacuation Alert for 23 properties in the Campsall Rd area west of Fort Steele due to the St Mary River Wildfire N11805.

“Evacuation Alerts are intended to give people time to prepare themselves so that they are ready to leave immediately if an Evacuation Order is issued,” explains East Kootenay Regional Emergency Operation Centre Director, Shawn Tomlin. “Residents within the Alert area with livestock or large animals are encouraged to take steps now to find a place to relocate their animals.”

Other steps that those within the Alert area can take now to prepare:

• Make a family reunification plan
• Gather important items such as medications, insurance documents, valuables, supplies for children and pets, and other important items
• Register for the Regional Evacuation Notification System at [url=http://www.rdek.bc.ca]http://www.rdek.bc.ca[/url]
• Monitor www.bcwildfire.ca
• Join the RDEK’s email list at [url=http://www.rdek.bc.ca]http://www.rdek.bc.ca[/url]

“In addition, if residents have RV trailers or boats in the Alert area, now is the time to move them. If an Evacuation Order needs to be issued, the priority is getting people out, and RVs and boats will be left behind at that point,” explains Tomlin.

The fire is estimated to be 100 hectares and the suspected cause is downed powerlines.

BC Wildfire reports that ground crews are being supported with helicopters and airtankers, though strong winds are challenging aviation efforts. Additional resources are en route. Strong winds are driving fire behaviour and the size is expected to increase.

ʔaq’am and first responders performed a tactical evacuation, which was followed by implementation of an evacuation order in an area of the ʔaq’am reserve north of the St. Mary River.

Many residents in the area may be experiencing prolonged power outages. Those in the affected area may wish to transfer frozen and perishable goods to a friend’s home that is not affected by the power outage.

Due to this wildfire, all scheduled flights in and out of the Canadian Rockies International Airport have been cancelled until further notice. Please call your airline for more info if you were to be travelling today.

The Regional Emergency Operations Centre has been activated and an information line set up at 250-426-2188 or toll free 1-855-346-2188.

For more information on the stages of evacuation and tips on how to prepare in the event of emergencies, visit www.rdek.bc.ca.

– Article includes information from Regional District of East Kootenay, BC Wildfire Service, St. Mary’s Indian Band and Canadian Rockies International Airport