FILE PHOTO - A home destroyed by the White Rock Lake wildfire in Monte Lake.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/(Tobin Doyle Stuart)
August 28, 2021 - 2:09 PM
A total of 87 structures, including homes, seasonal dwellings and commercial buildings have been lost due to wildfires burning within the Thompson Nicola region, according to the latest update from the regional district.
Andrew Roebbelen, with the Thompson Nicola Regional District's emergency operations centre, gave an update on structures in the regional district lost due to wildfires, via Zoom, Aug. 28.
There were 10 primarily dwellings lost due to the Lytton Creek wildfire, burning to the northwest of Merritt, in the regional district which does not include the municipality of Lytton, he said. One seasonal dwelling and five commercial buildings were also lost in the blaze.
READ MORE: Lytton Creek wildfire destroys structures, home northwest of Merritt
The Sparks Lake wildfire burning to the north of Kamloops Lake destroyed 11 homes and 24 seasonal dwellings.
Evacuation orders and alerts have been downgraded in the White Rock Lake wildfire area so further losses have been reported, Roebbelen said. The wildfire is burning to the west of Okanagan Lake in the Central and North Okanagan.
The regional district reported 32 primary dwellings were destroyed as well as two seasonal dwellings and two commercial structures due to that fire, he said.
There have been no homes or structures lost due to the Tremont Creek wildfire burning to the west of Kamloops, Roebbelen said.
Cooler weather means wildfires across the region are seeing decreased fire behaviour and firefighters have been able to directly attack wildfires, according to updates from the B.C. Wildfire Service information officers via Zoom.
As of Aug. 26, the Sparks Lake wildfire and Tremont Creek wildfires are being held, which means they are not expected to grow out of their existing boundaries at this time, according to the service.
For those who have lost structures, Roebbelen said to contact the regional district’s resiliency centre, and fill out a needs assessment. The centre can be reached at 250-312-5667 or email at tnrdrecovery@tnrd.ca.
The centre is also open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is located in Kamloops at #3-700 Tranquille Road at Northills Mall.
The next step following damage assessment will be debris cleanup and the regional district has reached out to the province to co-ordinate efforts, Roebbelen said.
“We need to make sure materials are handled properly. Several of the structures lost are older structures and carry certain risks, such as asbestos, come with that,” he said. “We will continue to work with the province and insurance companies on that.”
To contact a reporter for this story, email Carli Berry or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2021