UPDATE:
An evacuation alert issued by the District of Barriere on Aug. 16 has been rescinded, as of 8 a.m. on Aug. 20.
“The District of Barriere Emergency Operations Centre has been advised that the imminent risk of danger to life and properties from the Sparks Lake wildfire near the District of Barriere has diminished at this time,” a notice released by Tasha Buchanan, DOB corporate officer, reads.
The notice applies to all properties within the municipality of the DOB. While the current evacuation alert has been rescinded, should the need arise, another may be re-issued.
For more information, contact the District at (250) 672-9751.
EARLIER:
Aug. 19: District of Barriere council and staff will be meeting this afternoon (Aug. 19) to discuss the alert status with the Government of B.C., according to a notice released by Bob Payette, DOB chief administrative officer.
“As of right now, the District of Barriere remains on alert, however, if the conditions remain favourable, this will be reassessed overnight,” the notice reads. “Please stay tuned and continue to stay prepared.”
A map of the fire proximity to the municipality as of 12 p.m. on Aug. 19 was also released. The District is shown in grey.
Aug. 17: The District of Barriere is is still on evacuation alert for those within the municipal boundaries.
In a notice released Aug. 17, the DOB noted the town is still on an evacuation alert “in an abundance of caution.”
On Monday, Aug. 16, the DOB issued the alert, as did the Thompson-Nicola Regional District for Darfield to McLure, because of the growth of the Sparks Lake wildfire.
In a statement released Monday afternoon (Aug. 17), DOB Mayor Ward Stamer notes that while he believes the town is not in “any immediate, dire danger,” residents should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, should be deemed necessary.
“This nearby fire (Sparks Lake fire) is very large and has proven to be unpredictable at times,” the statement reads. “It remains a good distance away from us and natural geography may have the potential to slow its progression towards us, but it is still nearly 90,000 hectares in size and it will continue to pose a threat to our area depending on weather conditions.”
Stamer noted he will be speaking with the incident commander of the Spark Lake Complex to obtain a boots-on-the-ground update.
He added he would like to thank the local volunteer fire personnel who hand-delivered the evacuation alert notices to DOB homes and gave their time to answer any questions from residents.
“Remember to stay informed with trusted sources of information such as the TNRD, District of Barriere and provincial websites and please be wary of social media posts that do not directly link their information to these trusted sources as misinformation can be dangerous, albeit often unintentionally,” Stamer noted in the statement. “We will continually monitor this fire’s movement and will reassess the alert notice over the next few days.”
The Sparks Lake wildfire, which is now 95,980 hectares in size, grew over the weekend and while parts of the fire received some precipitation overnight, it “received less precipitation in northern areas,” according to the BC Wildfire Service.
Residents of the DOB are encouraged to monitor the district website or sign up to the municipality’s e-newsletter subscription (found at the bottom of the web page) for updates. The statement can also be read in full on the District’s website.
newsroom@clearwatertimes.com
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