Despite the looming threat of the Ross Moore Lake fire, the Thompson Nicola Regional District is maintaining some of its operations in the evacuation alert zones.

This includes the Eco-Depots in Lac Le Jeune and Knutsford.

Andrew Roebbelen, the TNRD’s Waste Reduction coordinator, says the decision to keep them open is to allow people to continue to fire-smart their homes and properties.

“Being able to do that clean-up, get that yard waste out of there, dispose of the flammables and anything else that’s going to put your property or your neighbors property at risk.”

Wtih the fire a present threat, Roebbelen says they have also sped up the process to break down the materials brought to them.

“As fire season comes in, we are thinking about moving materials quicker, especially those flammables. Getting piles of brush chipped and hauled away to their final destinations.”

At the same time, Roebbelen does say the transfer stations are designed in a way to be ‘fire smart.’

“We also just manage our sites in a way that there’s a good buffer zone around — we call them cribs. That’s where you would put your brush and branches or your propane tanks. They’re all inside concrete, on gravel.”

Roebbelen does note the transfer stations in Lac Le Jeune and Knutsford will be shut down if the evacuation orders were to expand into those areas.

–With Files from Jeff Andreas & Bill Cowen