An aerial image of a section of Dorian Bay with the burned line from the Lower East Adams Lake Wildfire. (Photo via CSRD)
The Thompson-Nicola and the Columbia-Shuswap regional districts have downgraded evacuation orders for properties on the east shore of Adams Lake to evacuation alerts.
The CSRD says people in 92 properties between 2597 and 2900 Rawson Road can begin to return home, though they may need to leave again on short notice, should the situation change.
“The Evacuation Alert remains in effect for all areas previously under Evacuation Order,” the CSRD said. “This includes the communities of Dorian Bay, Woolford Point, and Enns Reach.”
“The Evacuation Alert also remains in place for the northern portion of Tsútswecw Park.”
In the TNRD, the two properties now on evacuation alert are at 2992 Rawson Road in the vicinity of McLeod Point and 3500 Bugcamp Creek-Adams East Forest Service Road.
All of the properties in the CSRD and the TNRD were put on evacuation order after a significant flare-up on the Lower East Adams Lake fire on Aug. 2.
At this time, the Adams Lake Indian Band has not rescinded its evacuation order for properties on the Adams Lake Indian Reserve I.R. 1 – Cstèlen (Hustalen).
“Evacuation Orders remain in place for areas south of Adams Lake Ferry under Adams Lake Indian Band jurisdiction,” the Band said, in a post on Facebook.
“The EOC Director is currently liaising with [the BC Wildfire Service] and crews in the field to assess how much fuel is still on the ground, the guard situation, and expected weather patterns. Once there is an additional update, we’ll be sure to push something out to members.”
The Lower East Adams Lake fire is as estimated 65 square kilometres in size, as of the last update from the BC Wildfire Service.
An evacuation alert for 73 TNRD properties on the west shore of Adams Lake and the evacuation alert for Interfor’s Adams Lake sawmill, issued by the Village of Chase, are still in effect at this time.
Alerts downgraded near Bush Creek East Fire
The TNRD has also downgraded an evacuation order for 13 properties on the west Shore of Adams Lake due to the 30 square kilometre Bush Creek East fire to an evacuation alert. Those properties were put on evacuation order last Sunday, Aug. 6.
Other evacuation alerts due to the Bush Creek East fire remain in place. That includes 85 properties in the Agate Bay area as well as 12 properties in the Fadear Creek Road area on the western flank of the fire.
The Agate Bay area properties have been on evacuation alert since Monday, Aug. 7, while the Fadear Creek Road properties been on evacuation alert since July 23.
A look at the evacuation orders (red) and evacuation alerts (yellow) around the Adams Lake area as of 6 pm, Aug. 12, 2023 (Photo via TNRD)
For the latest on evacuation orders and alerts in the TNRD, go here. For the latest on evacuation orders and alerts in the CSRD, go here.
For the latest from the BC Wildfire Service, go here.
