The cooler temperatures and rain today have resulted in encouraging progress on the fire front, including the official rescinding of the evacuation ORDER for the Moyie area effective 6 p.m. tonight.

“This is an exciting day,” said Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Information Officer Loree Duczek. “Not only are we pleased to be able to see everyone in the Moyie area able to head back home safely tonight, we have also been able to lift a number of alerts across the region. What a difference a week makes.”

Residents are asked to wait until 6 p.m. to return home.

Evacuees from the Moyie area are encouraged to visit the Canadian Red Cross desk at the ESS Reception Centre at the curling rink to pick up a cleaning kit and determine what re-entry assistance they may be eligible for. The Red Cross hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They can also be reached at 1-800-863-6582.  There are also information packages available for pick up that include details of what to expect and tips for re-entry.

In addition to the rescinding of the evacuation order for the Lamb Creek fire, a number of evacuation alerts have been rescinded this afternoon:

• Lamb Creek Fire (Moyie Area): Evacuation ALERT Rescinded for Porto Rico Road, Moyie Vista, Hidden Valley Road, Owl’s Nest, Moyie townsite, Eagles Nest, and both sides of Highway 3/95 south of Braunagel Road to Stone Creek.
• White River Complex Fire: Evacuation ALERT Rescinded – Whiteswan Area.
• Linklater Fire: – Evacuation ALERT Rescinded – Newgate/West Koocanusa – for the community of Newgate south to the US Border – including Sunshine Houseboats, Sandy Shores, and Madera Ranch RV resort.

“In spite of this progress, it’s important for people around the region to remember that we still have a number of active fires burning in the East Kootenay and there are a number of area restrictions around those fires that must be adhered to,” added Duczek.  For more information on the area restrictions, visit www.bcwildfire.ca.

The Off Road Vehicle Prohibition and campfire ban remain in place.

“We want to thank the residents of Moyie for their tremendous cooperation and patience,” added Duczek. “This has been an extraordinary fire season and we also owe our heartfelt thanks to the men and women from the BC Wildfire Service who have worked tirelessly on the front lines and behind the scenes to protect us all summer.”

For the latest status of wildfires

Regional District of East Kootenay

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