Rock Creek Wildfire

[Lazarus]

Have any of the "Powers that Be" checked that ATV's may not have been on area trails at this time of this fire? Seems to me the fires in the area are many spot fires in different locations as per other posts..and I know an ATV group were in a small town in the area for a "Jamboree".....seems to me in these dry conditions (drought we are in, I can't water my lawn) things making 'sparks' in the forest should not be there..eg. ATV's, logging trucks, people smoking, what have you. We do not know the cause of what seems to me to be the loss of one of my favourite campgrounds...but we MUST take care of our forests and our Earth. (P.S...the last time I camped at this B.C. Provincial Campsite (early spring of this year 2015) we had to go to first come first serve area..the newest area in the Pines..and I have some issues with the campground makeup, in that it seemed the terrain had to be au-natural..no debris picked up from fallen trees..so the forest floor was a tinder box of pine needles...branches...tree trunks from trees that were sawn down to make this new camp area...not good. In all, I think this lovely place was a place looking for an accident to happen. )

I think the big ATV event is in Greenwood (they had a large campground set up there beside the highway when I drove through this afternoon) which is a decent distance away from Rock Creek. Unless there's another big ATV event going on in the area.

[zerograv]

ATV's are known to sometimes cause Sparks in dry terrain.......

Atvs, side by sides, and dirtbikes are required to have spark arrest in north America.

[Bunnyhop]

trying to get my friends housepets and livestock out of there. CDART says they were informed its not their jurisdiction, so unfortunately cannot help. EOC Grand Forks is who can help. Anyone know a fb page or anything for them? my friend and her sister both have properties that are evacuated. my friend is in calgary unfortunately at this time and her sister is stuck in Kelowna.

Try BC's Emergency Livestock/Animal Evacuation Group on Facebook.

[crazymum]

*sad sigh* In case of emergencies like this, there shouldn't be jurisdictions. Frustrating isn't it?!
~V~

i agree. there should be no jurisdictions when it comes to situations like this.

my friend on her property has 7 horses 2 minis 2 donkeys 4 goat 5 sheep 7 dogs 3 cats and I have 140 meat birds and 70 hens

and im not sure what all is on her sisters property

[Barney Google]

i agree. there should be no jurisdictions when it comes to situations like this.

my friend on her property has 7 horses 2 minis 2 donkeys 4 goat 5 sheep 7 dogs 3 cats and I have 140 meat birds and 70 hens

and im not sure what all is on her sisters property

If we can help we will...we have transport ready to rock n roll...professional livestock experience and able to house or find housing if needed. If we can get approval/permission to enter the evacuated area we can be in the area in 30 minutes or less...will keep checking all night...PM for help.

[Arelle]

There was this group started on fb to help those that need it. Hopefully everyone and their pets/livestock can get out safely.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/866804096739008/

[Caree]

Well, then, if the ATV's are perfectly safe, I hope no one in the woods (hikers, campers, ATV'rs , people on the highway, etc) was smoking!...I guess it could have been lightening? Something had to cause these fires. Devastating to loose one of the best places in the area, and I hope no campers were hurt or worse, and I am sorry they would loose their RV's, vehicles and tents. We don't need this.

[Triple 6]

There was this group started on fb to help those that need it. Hopefully everyone and their pets/livestock can get out safely.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/866804096739008/

I'm going to allow this link. Please do not spam the board with it. I'm allowing it for people to get help, offer help etc...

[Arelle]

I'm going to allow this link. Please do not spam the board with it. I'm allowing it for people to get help, offer help etc...

Thank you. I was just planning on posting it the once so that others were aware.

[zerograv]

Evacuees of the Rock Creek wildfire have begun to pour into the Emergency Social Services reception centre tonight as the fire continues to grow rapidly.

The fire is now estimated to be 750 hectares in size, and is expected to continue to grow steadily throughout the night, according to Fanny Bernard, fire information officer.

Approximately 240 homes are in the evacuation area, and some who have already been evacuated fear their homes are already lost.

“It’s burning, I heard 11 (homes) were gone, and I’m pretty sure mine’s one of them,” said Don, a resident of Westbridge.

Bernard could not confirm that any structures have been lost yet.

The 200 campers at the Kettle Creek Provincial Campground were fully evacuated as well. The entire campground has reportedly been burned.

“We lost our tent trailer, three brand new tents, all of our clothes,” said Dax Chatwell, who was at the end of a weeklong camping trip from Calgary. “There’s actually a couple ladies inside (the reception centre) that lost their houses.”

There are currently 36 BC Forest Service personnel fighting the fire, along with air support and the Midway Fire Department. There are 40 more Forestry personnel on their way to assist.

Crews will be working throughout the night to protect buildings and assist with further evacuations.

One resident of Zamora, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had been talking to his son earlier who was at their house tonight.

“He grabbed the wife, two goats and our dogs and took off. They stopped him a mile down the road towards Westbridge and he said he could see the black smoke and it looked like our house was burning. What do you do?”

[Bretbaby]

Well, then, if the ATV's are perfectly safe, I hope no one in the woods (hikers, campers, ATV'rs etc) was smoking!...I guess it could have been lightening? Something had to cause these fires. Devastating to loose one of the best places in the area, and I hope no campers were hurt or worse, and I am sorry they would loose their RV's, vehicles and tents. We don't need this.

From the original story:

A four-hectare wildfire is burning near Highway 33, just north of Rock Creek.

Fanny Bernard, fire information officer with the Southeast Fire District in Castlegar, said the fire was reported about 1:30 Thursday afternoon.

One air tanker and an initial attack crew are on the scene.

Residents in the area say trees are candling. They suggest motorists avoid using the highway.

While there was some lightning throughout the Okanagan last night, Bernard said there is no indication this fire was started as a result of lightning.

"If this is a human caused fire, it is really regrettable," she said.

"If this is a cigarette butt thrown out the window, it's even worse because we've had so much messaging about that all summer, and there have been quite a few fires started by cigarettes so far."


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Sounds like it didn't start "in the woods" as you suggest, but along the highway. No lightning in the area at the time. Sounds like the first thoughts for the fire information officer is a cigarette butt tossed out the window.

[vinnied]

].



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Sounds like it didn't start "in the woods" as you suggest, but along the highway. No lightning in the area at the time. Sounds like the first thoughts for the fire information officer is a cigarette butt tossed out the window.

Hate to say it, but its not the first, and it wont be the last. Some people just dont get it, or they just dont care.
Id swear sometimes its done intentionally.

[Always Sunny]

https://www.facebook.com/PonderosaFest

Surely the organizers must know what's going on right now. I wonder if they'll be able/allowed to proceed with such an event next week. No updates on it per their Facebook page.

[Caree]

Yes.. I suppose smokers should realize they should only smoke with an ashtray device (even a plastic water bottle with water in it?) of some sort nearby - it may not have been a cigarette/smoker but the cigarettes are a scarey thing at the best of times in many places..and not needed in B. C. or Pacific North West in our current drought. Cigarettes etc are the stupidist thing people can do..for their lungs and overall health, and for the environment and our homes!...

[Relentless]

Yes.. I suppose smokers should realize they should only smoke with an ashtray device (even a plastic water bottle with water in it?) of some sort nearby - it may not have been a cigarette/smoker but the cigarettes are a scarey thing at the best of times in many places..and not needed in B. C. or Pacific North West in our current drought. Cigarettes etc are the stupidist thing people can do..for their lungs and overall health, and for the environment and our homes!...

Its quite possible that you should consider that the fire might have been started from lightning from the middle of last night, as we had a lightning and thunderstorm with severe rain from 3 to 4 a.m. here in Kelowna, so it's possible that it was lightning overnight that started it.
As far as the smokers are concerned, save it until you find out, and don't blow any gaskets trying to explain about how stupid smokers are, lets keep focused on the wildfire at hand.