Wildfire leads to evac alert

Photo: Facebook - BC Forest FIre Info

This map shows all of the lightning strikes throughout BC since Friday, including the one that started a blaze near Slocan Park.

An evacuation alert has been issued for residents of Slocan Park and Crescent Valley in the Kootenays, due to a wildfire burning on the East side of the valley.

The blaze is approximately two kilometers north of Highway 6 and is about 100 hectares in size.

A 20-person ground attack crew, including five helicopters and two small bombers were dispatched to the site this morning by the Southeast Fire Centre.

The agency has also requested the assistance of a tanker and a Type 1 Provincial Incident Management Team.

“The Southeast Fire Centre is giving it everything they’ve got,” says Terry Swan, the RDCK’s regional fire chief. “Weather permitting, we hope the fire will be manageable very soon.”

Residents with livestock are asked to move their animals to safe locations and to pack belongings in case of evacuations.