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Help for stranded evacuees

UPDATE 4 P.M.

More help is on the way for evacuees stuck in Beverdell and for residents of that community as a result of the Rock Creek fire.

Kelowna Salvation Army executive director Darryl Burry said their meal truck is en route and will be providing meals for residents in the Beaverdell area for the next couple of days.

A van with emergency provisions went to Beaverdell earlier in the day.

Meantime, Burry refuted some comments made regarding assistance for evacuees stranded in Beaverdell as a result of the fire.

Burry said comments that Beaverdell was not in the local Salvation Army's jurisdiction were not true and further stated no one from his office would make such a comment.


UPDATE 1:30 P.M.

The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary is working with the Red Cross to get fuel, water and non-perishables to people in Beaverdell so they can get out of the area if they need to.


About 100 evacuees from the Rock Creek fire spent an uneasy night stranded in Beaverdell.

The evacuees were apparently able to get as far as Beaverdell, but weren't able to go any farther.

Beaverdell, like Rock Creek and Westbridge, was without power, meaning those needing fuel for the trip to Kelowna were out of luck.

"Rock Creek and Westbridge got evacuated very quickly. A lot of them left and got as far as Beaverdell and didn't have fuel or the means to get any farther," said Beaverdell resident Tammy Shipton, who was in Kelowna and unable to get home.

"Last night, my husband and various community members opened up our community hall and took in the evacuees. The community brought them dinners and what they needed for the time being."

Despite efforts to get help and supplies to those evacuees stranded in Beaverdell, Shipton said she was met with roadblocks of her own from agencies unable to help.

"Where I was hitting a roadblock was the Red Cross sent me to the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army claimed Beaverdell wasn't in their jurisdiction, and the police wouldn't let me through the roadblock to get them supplies.

"And then the RDKB (regional district) people said last night at 10:30 that they were sending a police officer to assess needs so they could help these people. Nobody showed up last night. It's now Day 2, and they still don't know what's up there, they don't know their needs and they haven't sent somebody up to assess the situation."

She said people were extremely frustrated. There were babies, elderly people, animals and livestock that needed to be tended to.

"The most immediate need was fuel, baby supplies, feed for the livestock and water. Everybody pitched in, but we live in a very small community," said Shipton.

As of Friday morning, the roadblock on Highway 33 has been moved from Big White to Beaverdell, and anyone with a Beaverdell address is being allowed through.

Shipton said more than half the people stranded in Beaverdell last night have now been able to get to Kelowna. She said about 30 or 40 people remain there.

To further complicate matters, power remains out to the entire community. While the community has not been evacuated, there is fear food supplies will run out as food in freezers and refrigerators starts to go bad.

Shipton said what frustrates her is the lack of assistance from those in charge.

She adds a few people she knows have lost their homes.

The Rock Creek fire was reported about 1:30 p.m. Thursday and has grown to 2,500 hectares.

To date, 270 homes have been evacuated. Reception centres have been set up in Midway, Lumby and at the Salvation Army on Sutherland Avenue in Kelowna.



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