CHRISTINA LAKE, B.C. — Parts of a British Columbia Interior community have been evacuated due to the threat of a nearby out-of-control wildfire.
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary says 42 homes located near Brown Road, Caitlin Road and Kensington Place in Christina Lake had been evacuated, although the evacuation order has since been rescinded for some of those residents.
The district says in a social media post that an emergency operation centre has been activated, and 208 homes in the area are on alert to leave on short notice.
Residents in the community have also been warned of possible low water pressure as fire crews use the available supply to fight the nearby wildfire.
The BC Wildfire Service says the out-of-control blaze near the evacuation zone is located at Spaulding Creek near Highway 3, and the cause is still under investigation.
A notice from the provincial Ministry of Transportation's DriveBC information system says Highway 3 was closed due to the blaze for a period of time before a single lane was reopened to alternating traffic.
Christina Lake is located about 21 kilometres east of Grand Forks, B.C., where another tactical evacuation took place days earlier due to the spread of the Goosmus wildfire from Washington state.
The evacuation order and alert there have both been lifted after fire crews brought the Goosmus blaze under control.
Residents evacuated from the Spaulding Creek wildfire zone are asked to go to the Christina Lake Community Hall, where a Red Cross reception centre will be set up.
The wildfire service said in its last update on Sept. 26 that seasonal fall weather in recent weeks had "decreased wildfire risk," resulting in open fire bans being lifted from some regions.
The service says there are about 185 active wildfires burning in B.C., with only around 19 of them — or roughly 10 per cent of the total — classified as out of control.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2024.
The Canadian Press
