Image: Ginger Baker / Image of Bush Creek East wildfire taken from Turtle Valley

By CFJC Today Staff

2023 Wildfires

Columbia Shuswap Regional District working to clear safe path to properties damaged by the Bush Creek East wildfire

Sep 1, 2023 | 1:36 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Columbia Shuswap Regional District held a virtual public meeting Friday, to give wildfire-impacted residents in the Shuswap, the latest information about when and how they will be able to return to their properties.

The CSRD is hoping to set uptours through fire-damaged areas as early as next week if they can clear the roads of safety issues. “There are massive challenges out there yet,” said BCWS Fire Information Officer Mike McCulley. “There are many roads that still need to have danger trees removed. I watched many trees coming down yesterday with very little wind. The drought causes the roots to burn out in ways that aren’t common.”

CSRD Emergency Operations Director Derek Sutherland has been through the fire zone and says the high level of destruction was even surprising to him. “I just can’t believe what’s out there, how hot this fire ran and how big the track of this fire is,” said Sutherland.

Sutherland says the CSRD has spoken with about 50 per cent of wildfire-impacted property owners to this point. He knows there are others who they haven’t been able to reach. He says if you think your property has been impacted and you haven’t heard from the CSRD, you should reach out to authorities. “We can go to our mapping, we have a really good sense of what homes have been destroyed, what homes have been damaged and what homes are okay,” said Sutherland.

While the 430 square kilometre wildfire is still considered out of control, the BC Wildfire Service reported good news on the wildfront. “Relatively calm,” said McCulley. “We had significant rain on some portions of the fire (this week), well over 10 millimetres,” he added. The rainfall and cooler weather has allowed fire fighters to keep the fire in check for the last few days.

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The most active area of the wildfire continues to be the southeast finger of the blaze that is visible from parts of the Turtle Valley and Sorrento. However fire officials say crews have been dumping water into the fire’s path and slowing it’s growth. “We have been holding this fire for about a week or more with heavy helicopter bucketing,” said McCulley.

There are 330 ground personnel working the fire and another 80 on the ground are supporting the crews. Sutherland says on any given day 10 to 30 local residents have joined with firefighters on the ground to protect properties. 70 to 80 pieces of heavy equipment are also dedicated to the wildfire along with air resources.