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By Silvia Senna

BUSH CREEK EAST

Columbia-Shuswap Regional District opens Resiliency Centre; residents could visit properties by next week

Sep 1, 2023 | 4:55 PM

KAMLOOPS — With hundreds of properties lost due the Bush Creek East wildfire, the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) is opening a Resiliency Centre in Salmon Arm to help those affected.

“If you think about someone who lost their home, they lost identification, insurance papers. They have lost all the things they need to reconnect. All of those services will be available there, including mental health services,” explained Tim Conrad, the Information Officer for the CSRD Emergency Operations Centre.

After mass evacuation orders were put in place two weeks ago, most residents just want to go home. “People want to get back and they want to see what’s happening back in their houses, they want to go look at it. They want to grieve. They want to start their lives again, that’s the biggest thing,” said Avery Shoaf, one of the evacuees from the wildfire.

Conrad explained that the CSRD is arranging a bus tour for those who owned properties within evacuation order areas. “We are working on a plan, so people that have lost structures can get access to their homes to see that. Hopefully, we are going to have a bus trip going there next week,” he said. “Hopefully after that, we’ll be looking at evacuation order downgrades.”

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While roads remain closed to the North Shuswap, the CSRD is providing a barge for residents in non-order areas. “We are coordinating all the people that get access to that barge. They have to have a pass, they have to coordinate that through us and have to have it pre-booked before they show up, they cannot just show up and get on the barge,” Conrad explained.

When roads do get reopened and Evacuation Orders are downgraded, the Regional District is reminding people of the dangers that will continue to exist. “There are a lot of dangerous trees in the fire zone and people will need to be very careful being in the forest,” said Conrad. “That’s going to be an important piece going forward – for people to be hyper-aware of being in the forest and not be in areas where there are burnt trees.”

At least 131 structures were destroyed while 37 others were damaged in the fire. The CSRD says the assessments havn’t been completed and the numbers may grow.