Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

As smoke clears from Canada Day fire, City of Kamloops adds second road out of Juniper Ridge to priority list

Jul 6, 2021 | 4:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops has provided more details regarding its response to the East Kamloops fire that threatened both Juniper Ridge and Valleyview on July 1, and says the process has started to bring in a paved road.

In a media briefing today, Emergency Operations Centre staff, Kamloops Fire Rescue, and Kamloops RCMP reiterated that no lives were lost, no homes were destroyed and no injuries occurred. Overall, the goals of the emergency operations centre were achieved and people were kept safe.

However as evacuation traffic flooded the main road out of Juniper Ridge, residents watching the flames come closer grew frustrated with the egress roads not being available.

After commenting on Monday (July 5) that some residents needed to evacuate, while other wanted to evacuate, the City’s CAO David Trawin was criticized by residents for coming off as insensitive to the fear felt by those trying to flee. One day later, Trawin issued an apology — acknowledging the experiences of those who were sitting on Highland Road and feared for their lives.

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The CAO also approached council Tuesday morning (July 6) with a list of recommendations including a new paved access road out of Juniper, utilizing the Voyent emergency alert notification app, and a review of EOC operations during the incident.

“It’s been very helpful to get emails from the people up in Juniper expressing how they felt, how their families felt and the trauma they went through,” noted Trawin, “which really puts into place what they were going through, with me not being there and not understanding, and it really puts into place what direction we need to put forward soon rather than later from the city’s perspective.”

According to Trawin, having a second paved road out of Juniper Ridge is something that has been considered since construction began on the Juniper West development. The City’s CAO says the fire incident has now sped up the process and he’s asked council to immediately approach the federal and provincial government to get a fully paved access road.

Details are slim around how much a road would cost, when paving would begin and which area of Juniper it will go out of. Trawin says they want to have logistics ready for the budget process in the fall so council can figure out how to move forward with the project.

The interface fire has now been declared ‘out’, and in the weeks to come, Kamloops Fire Rescue Chief Steve Robinson says the City will be reviewing its emergency response.

“As we move through the next few days and weeks to look to see where and how we can improve our processes, I want to remind everyone that in this event there were no injuries. There were no structures lost. Yes, we have some challenges, yes will will always strive to be better, but the overall goal was accomplished.”

During the fire, an evacuation order was issue, rescinded, then re-implemented for some Juniper Ridge properties. The City’s Communications Manager Wendy Heshka says, with how rapidly the fire had spread, emergency operations did not have time to issue an evacuation alert through press release emails, or social media, so a tactical approach was taken.

“The people immediately at risk were receiving face to face communication. All of that led to a press release coming out later, social posts coming out a little bit later, and that will be part of the debrief that we undertake in a few weeks to look and what can be done differently and how we could improve that response.”

In Tuesday’s briefing, the City also explained why both of the access roads on the east and west sides of Juniper Ridge were not immediately unlocked.

Acting Civic Operations Director Greg Wightman notes neither of the roads are used frequently, and are not meant for regular use. Rather than risk unpaved conditions in the dark on cars not meant for the terrain, Wightman says Highland Road was deemed the safest route to exit the area.

“Sending people down unlit, gravel, unmarked roads already feeling the effects of fear and anxiety was not the safer of the routes. We had other plans should they be needed and we were prepared should things have changed with the fire.”

Among the recommendations staff made to Mayor and council, they have asked for the city to review the Voyent app and consider using it. The emergency notification app is already used by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and Tk’emlups te Secwepemc. Should the capital funds be allocated for this, the City would be able to use the software the send emergency alert information to the cell phones of residents who register to use the app.

To watch the full briefing, click here to access the video on YouTube.