Update: 15 dwellings added to ʔaq’am Evacuation Order, 9 additional dwellings on Evacuation Alert

Update: 12:15 a.m., Thursday, July 20,2023: The Regional District of East Kootenay and community of ʔaq’am have placed more properties on Evacuation Order and Evacuation Alert late Wednesday.

A statement from the community via the RDEK indicates 15 more properties have been placed on Evacuation Order due to the St. Mary’s River Wildfire, this after gusting winds increased fire behavior Wednesday evening.

The Evacuation Order issued late Wednesday covers properties in the Woods Corner East Area on LD Ranch Road, Olsen Road, Peter Road, Sawmill Lake Road and Woods Road, exact addresses can be viewed in a statement provided via the RDEK below.

The Evacuation Alert covers nine properties along Highway 95A, Joe Sun Road and LD Ranch Road, exact addresses can be viewed via the same statement provided via the RDEK.

Meanwhile, a State of Local Emergency has been declared in RDEK Electoral Area E due to the wildfire.

These new Evacuation Orders and Evacuation Alerts are in addition to the similar actions taken for two properties earlier Wednesday, while all existing Evacuation Orders and Evacuation Alerts linked to the St. Mary’s River Wildfire remain intact.

The fire is estimated at 850 hectares.

Find a statement regarding the new Evacuation Orders and Evacuation Alerts and Local State of Emergency declaration from the community of ʔaq’am and the Regional District of East Kootenay below:

Gusting late-day winds, increased fire behaviour and growth on the St. Mary’s River wildfire, have prompted an EVACUATION ORDER for 15 dwellings north of ʔaq̓am in the Woods Corner area, including some that have been on Alert since early Tuesday morning.

The EVACUATION ORDER includes 15 properties in the Woods Corner East Area:

• 4165, 4371, 4491, 4829, 4901 LD Ranch Road
• 8285, 8287, 8291 Olsen Road
• 4450, 4481 Peter Road
• 8202 Sawmill Lake Road
• 4083, 4090, 4105, 4166 Woods Road

An Emergency Support Services (ESS) Reception Centre is being set up at yaqakiǂ ʔit̓qawxaxamki (The Gathering Place) at the College of the Rockies – 2700 College Way. Residents in the Order area are asked to evacuate immediately and register at the Reception Centre or online at www.ess.gov.bc.ca. 

In addition, the RDEK has issued an Evacuation Alert for 9 dwellings in the Woods Corner West Area: 

• 7502, 7510, 7538, 8056 Highway 95A
• 7905, 7951, 7955, 7965 Joe Sun Road
• 4368 LD Ranch Road

The RDEK encourages people within the Evacuation Alert area to put together important papers (like insurance papers), medications, valuables, supplies for children and pets, and other important items so that should they be asked to evacuate, they are ready to go.

Anyone with livestock and large animals should make arrangements to move them at the Alert stage.

Door-to-door notification in both the Alert and Order areas is underway with the assistance of RCMP and Search and Rescue.

A copy of the Evacuation Order, Alert and associated maps is posted on www.rdek.bc.ca.

An information line has been set up at 250-426-2188 or toll free 1-855-346-2188 and, when not staffed, will have a recorded message with the most updated information.

The RDEK has issued a State of Local Emergency for Electoral Area E, which is required when an Evacuation Order is issued.

The BC Wildfire Service is providing detailed fire updates on the St. Mary’s River Fire on its Wildfire of Note page on www.bcwildfire.ca. This is the best place to get the most updated information on the fire.

Original Post: 10:08 p.m, Wednesday, July 19, 2023: The BC Wildfire Service’s latest update pegs the St. Mary’s River Wildfire at 850 hectares as of Wednesday evening.

Wednesday evening’s update indicates fire activity has become more active during the peak burning period.

Local fire departments continue to assist with structure protection efforts with the Kimberley Fire Department recently joining to handle night duties.

The community of ʔaq’am has issued one additional Evacuation Order and one additional Evacuation Alert in response to the fire.

The Evacuation Order is for a private residence within the Kootenay Indian Reserve No1 at 8450 LD Ranch Road, anybody who is evacuated is asked to register with Emergency Social Services, view the Evacuation Order notice form the community of ʔaq’am below:

The Evacuation Alert is for residents and visitors in the area of 8425 LD Ranch Road within the Kootenay Indian Reserve No1, view the Evacuation Alert notice from community of ʔaq’am below:

This is in addition to the existing Evacuation Order for 52 homes in ʔaq’am and Evacuation Alerts for 10 homes within the Kootenay Indian Reserve No.1 and 33 properties in the surrounding area.

The fire has destroyed seven homes, the community is asking the public and media to respect their privacy as they focus on supporting each other through difficult times.

Power has been restored to most of the 376 BC Hydro customers who had been without electricity since the fire ignited Monday due to downed power lines.

The community is thankful for all the support and donations they have received, they’re now asking that you hold off on any material donations at this time as the response has been overwhelming.

Monetary donations are welcome through the community’s administration, click here for more information. You are reminded that no legit Go-Fund-Me accounts are associated with the community, ʔaq̓am Nasuʔkin Joe Pierre confirms the community will not be involved in any Go-Fund-Me campaigns, and any such fundraisers which are circulating online via the platform are “bogus.”

Click here for more information from the BC Wildfire Service.

Find a statement from the community of ʔaq’am below:

Find more information about BC Wildfire Service efforts through Wednesday, July 19, below:

– Article includes image from BC Wildfire Service, information from BC Wildfire Service, community of ʔaq̓am and Regional District of East Kootenay