Crews hit hotspots along a fire guard on the Bush Creek East fire/via BC Wildfire Service
People living in a total of 55 properties in both the Bush Creek and Ross Moore Lake wildfire zones are now allowed to return home.
As had been anticipated, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District has downgraded orders for and alerts for those in its jurisdiction around the Adams Lake area.
“Approximately 15 addressed properties were currently on alert, and 23 addressed properties have been downgraded from an Order and added to create this expanded alert boundary,” said the TNRD on Saturday.
Map of evacuation order and alert downgrades in Area “J”/via TNRD
Those living on 11 properties on Little Shuswap lake are being told to return by boat.
At the same time, the neighboring Columbia-Shuswap Regional District has also downgraded evacuation orders for 14 properties in the Sorrento area.
Map of evacuation order downgrade in Sorrento/via CSRD
Those folks were forced out of their homes on Tuesday evening due to a sudden run of the Bush Creek East fire.
And to the South of Kamloops, the last of those forced out by the Ross Moore Lake fire are heading home.
Updated evacuation map for the Ross Moore Lake fire south of Kamloops/via TNRD
“351 addressed properties were currently on alert, and 3 addressed properties have been downgraded from an Order and added to create this expanded alert boundary,” said the TNRD Saturday.
At that fire’s height, 354 properties were put under evacuation orders or alerts.
This comes as crews continue to make headway on both the Ross Moore and Bush Creek East fires.
Hundreds in the Shuswap still remain under evacuation orders.
Meanwhile, the CSRD has also given the “all-clear” to residents living in the western Blind Bay, Notch Hill, Skimikin and Tappen areas, after a downgrade of evacuation alerts there.
Map of evacuation alert downgrade in South Shuswap/via CSRD
“Evacuation orders have been in place for a long time, and we hear your concerns each day they continue,” the CSRD said in a statement.
“The areas that remain under evacuation are no longer due to active wildfire, but damage left behind due to the extreme fire which passed through much of the area. Damage includes roads, bridges, downed trees and hydro poles, danger trees, loss of phone and internet lines as well as communications towers and lost structures including a fire department.”
It says residents crews have been working to repair the damage to a point where the CSRD is “getting close” to being able to lift orders in most areas.
“Prior to orders being lifted, access for those who lost structures will be completed,” the CSRD added.
“It is likely residents will see a staged return, with one order lifted at a time.”
