Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations BC Wildfire Service

INFORMATION BULLETIN

Category 2 open fires to be prohibited in Southeast

CASTLEGAR – Effective at noon Pacific Time on Monday, July 3, 2017, Category 2 open fires will be prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

This Category 2 prohibition is in addition to the Category 3 open fire prohibition that came into effect in the Southeast Fire Centre on June 15, 2017. A poster explaining the different categories of open burning is available online at: www.gov.bc.ca/openfireregs

Anyone intending to conduct a Category 2 open fire anywhere in the Southeast Fire Centre must have extinguished it by 12 noon on July 3, 2017. This prohibition will remain in place until the public is otherwise notified.

Specifically, prohibited Category 2 and Category 3 activities will include:

* the burning of any waste, slash or other materials

* stubble or grass fires of any size over any area

* the use of fireworks, sky lanterns and burning barrels

* burning cages or air curtain burners

* binary exploding targets (e.g. for target practice)

This prohibition does not ban campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, and it does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes.

This prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of a local government that has forest fire prevention bylaws and is serviced by a fire department. Please check with local authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.

A map of the areas affected by the Category 2 and Category 3 open fire prohibitions is available online at: http://ow.ly/eHjD30d8mcP

The Southeast Fire Centre extends from the U.S. border in the south to Mica Dam in the north and from the Okanagan Highlands and Monashee Mountains in the west to the B.C.-Alberta border in the east. It includes the Selkirk Natural Resource District and the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District.

Campfires are currently allowed in the Southeast Fire Centre, but anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and must have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire.

A campfire should not be lit or kept burning in windy conditions, and it should never be left unattended. Make sure the fire is fully extinguished and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time.

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, visit: http://www.bcwildfire.ca

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on:

* Twitter at http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo

* Facebook at http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Contacts:

Karlie Shaughnessy

Fire Information Officer

BC Wildfire Service

Southeast Fire Centre

250 365-4014

Carlee Kachman

Fire Information Officer

BC Wildfire Service

Southeast Fire Centre

250 365-4056

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect

You are invited to the Ashram for a time of celebration with our local community at our 22nd annual Strawberry Social – JUNE 24, 1-4pm –

Come and see the progress on the new Temple of Light, scheduled for completion later this summer!

At 1:45 pm meet local designers, contractors and suppliers who helped make it happen.

Join a Temple tour, ongoing throughout the afternoon. See this world-class architecture dedicated to the sacred within each person and tradition.

Enjoy delicious Creston strawberries with Kootenay Lake friends, neighbours and associates.

Shop at our annual used book sale with proceeds donated to the Crawford Bay School hot lunch program.

Bring your family and friends!

Saturday, June 17th at the Hub in Crawford Bay – Come out and watch 21 of your friends and neighbors singing sixties and early seventies standards along with the astounding talent of local musicians Robby Marcheterre, Kenji Fukushima, Todd Lester, and Zyan Fukushima-Rael!

Be there to make sure that you don’t miss any of the three fantastic sets. Show will  start between 8 and 9 p.m.

Cover: $10 at the door.

Don’t miss this wonderful event tomorrow night at the Hub. 8 p.m. No cover but donations are accepted.

UPDATE:
June 15, 2017

The Regional District of Central Kootenay has rescinded the Evacuation Alert for the following four properties at the mouth of Tam O’Shanter Creek near Riondel.
• 2225 Riondel North Road
• 2251 Riondel North Road
• 2277 Riondel North Road
• Crown Land surrounding Tam O’Shanter Creek below Riondel North Road
On June 5th an Evacuation Alert was issued after a small landslide occurred within a tributary of Tam O’Shanter Creek. The potential danger from rising waters or debris flow in the creek has diminished; therefore the Evacuation Alert has been rescinded. No properties in the area around Tam O’Shanter Creek remain on alert.

June 5, 2017 – The Regional District of Central Kootenay has issued an Evacuation Alert for four properties at the mouth of Tam O’Shanter Creek near Riondel.

Residents reported dirty water in Tam O’Shanter Creek and a helicopter flyover with RDCK, MFLNRO, and MOTI staff this afternoon confirmed that a small landslide failure occurred within a tributary of the main creek. The slide was likely caused by the melting snowpack on an unstable slope. There is a low risk of slide debris impacting the residences below the creek.

CLICK HERE FOR AFFECTED AREA MAP [PDF – 290 KB]

Residents are asked to be observant of any changes in the creek such as large, sudden changes in flow, or any turbidity and debris.

To report flooding or landslide, residents can call the 24/7 Provincial Emergency Reporting Number at

1-800-663-3456.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY – DIAL 911

For information on how to prepare for an evacuation, please visit: http://www.rdck.ca/EN/main/services/emergency-management/emergency-preparedness.html

The RDCK will keep the public updated as more information becomes available.

June 1st, 2017

COMMUNITY SEARCH AND RESCUE

FOR ALVIN DUNIC

The public is invited to participate in the ground search for Alvin Dunic this Saturday and Sunday, June 3‐4th 2017.

• When: Saturday, June 3, 2017 – 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
  Sunday, June 4, 2017 ‐ 9:30 a.m. ‐ 5:30 p.m.
• Registration area: Crawford Bay Elementary/Secondary School, Walkley Rd, Crawford Bay, BC V0B 1E0

The following criteria MUST be met by volunteers to participate in the search efforts:

• Minimum age is 18 years old;
• Volunteers must be capable of a minimum of 6 hours of sustained and strenuous physical activity;
• Picture ID is required; and
• Mandatory equipment: rain gear, long pants, long sleeves, hiking boots, bug spray, eye protection, sunscreen, food, water – You will be turned away if you don’t have this equipment.

Check in procedures

• All volunteers must register at the school.
• Only registered volunteers will be able to participate in the search efforts.
• Registration will take place at the school at 9.30 a.m. on each day
• You must register and check out each day
• The school will be closed at 5.30 p.m.

There is no parking available at the school. Please carpool with others. Bus transportation will be provided from the Kootenay Ferry Terminal at 8.45 a.m. A bus will then depart school at 4:45p.m. for volunteers to catch the 5.20 p.m. ferry back to Balfour.

There will be another community informat­ion session held at Crawford Bay School tonight at 5.30pm in the performance spa­ce.  Representatives from Search and Res­cue will be present to provide an update on the search proce­dure at that time.

All parents, community members and youth are welcome to attend.