Cascade Beach, in Lumby, is one of several rec sites that have been closed due to wildfire activity.
Image Credit: Recreation Sites and Trails B.C.
August 09, 2018 - 4:32 PM
People are being asked to evacuate a number of recreation sites in the North Okanagan due to wildfire activity.
Recreation Sites and Trails B.C., an arm of the Ministry of Forests, announced closures today in the Mabel and Sugar Lake areas. A cluster of wildfires, called the Monashee complex, have been burning in those regions since last week.
Some area restrictions went into effect just before the August long weekend, and now Rec Sites and Trails is closing more sites and access roads for safety reasons.
“Due to the risk to the public at this time, Recreation Sites and Trails B.C. is asking the public to evacuate Sugar Creek, Cottonwood Beach, Cascade Falls, Cascade Beach recreation sites and Cascade Falls recreation trail,” it says in a Facebook post.
Mabel Lake Forest Service Road km 8 to km 59 and the entire Kate Creek Forest Service Roads will be closed to the public immediately until further notice.
The closure does not apply to residents in the Mabel Lake Holdings community, or other private residences along the Mabel Lake forest service road.
“These closures are not due to fire threat but for road safety for our crews and industry partners traveling to and from the fires,” Rec Sites says.
For more information on closures and restrictions click here.
The Mabel Creek wildfire, about 6.5 km east of Mabel Lake, is an estimated 200 hectares and burning out of control, while the Sugar Mountain fire, about four km east of Sugar Lake, is an estimated 170 hectares and also burning out of control. The Harris Creek forest service road is about 16 km southeast of Lumby and is burning out of control at an estimated 260 hectares.
Click here for more information about wildfires in the Kamloops Fire Centre, which covers the North Okanagan.
Click here for more information on forest use restrictions from B.C. Wildfire.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston or call 250-309-5230 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, 2018