Photo: Boogie Bash

The Nk'Mip Creek wildfire has forced the cancellation of one of the larger biker gatherings in the Southern Interior.

Organizers of the Rock Creek Boogie Bash announced on their website and Facebook page that the event that had been planned for this long weekend has been cancelled as a precautionary measure.

The motorcycle enthusiast event was to be held at the Rock Creek fairgrounds.

Meanwhile, the Nk'Mip fire is estimated at 13,000 hecatres in size and has the area east of Oliver and Osoyoos on evacuation order or alert, all the way up to the Rock Creek town limits.

"With Boogie Bash just days away, our board of directors has been watching the provincial forest fire situation and the weather forecast closely," the Society for Injured Riders wrote on the Boogie Bash Facebook page.

"There is no rain in the long range forecast, and with a quick shift in the wind directions, this could change everything very quickly.

"With all of that in mind, taking into consideration all information at hand and with the utmost respect to the residents and the community of the Rock Creek area, our board has made the most challenging decision to cancel the 2021 Boogie Bash.

"We have reviewed every possible scenario to make Boogie Bash happen this year, but if the situation were to change, our event would put added unwanted and unnecessary pressure on the residents in this area. We don’t want to be a part of the problem they are already facing."

Tickets for 2021 will be rolled over to next year.

Photo: BCWS