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forest fire in the Slocan Valley

bONES

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bONES Newbie

bONES

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My sister called me today from her home in Lemon Creek, BC (just a few kms south of Slocan)

There is a 600 hectare fire burning about 10km from their place. She said the smoke was bad and it was hot and windy there today.

There is only one way out of the Valley with a fire approaching from the north.

Scary shit!

bc-070731-wildfire2.jpg

RESIDENTS ON EVACUATION ALERT NEAR SPRINGER CREEK

CASTLEGAR B.C.–TMTV for CBC TV 6PM July 30 A fire 5 kilometres northeast of Slocan near Springer Creek prompted the local government to put 13 homes on evacuation alert, affecting approximately 15 residents. The alert was issued at 10:30 p.m. Sunday night, and there is a chance more homes could be placed on alert today.

The fire, which was first reported yesterday afternoon, is now estimated to be 600 hectares. Driven by strong winds, the fire moved downhill yesterday towards the homes and the highway, prompting the alert; today it remains approximately 1 kilometre from the homes.

A Structure Protection Unit was set up yesterday evening to protect the homes in the event the fire moves closer. Traffic control has also been put in place along Highway 6 because the smoke has significantly reduced visibility.

Two 3-person initial attack crews and 5 local contract fire fighters are on site. Five pieces of heavy equipment are en route and more BC Forest Service fire crews are being deployed. The Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) and local authorities are monitoring the situation and assisting with the evacuation alert.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

The fire danger rating in the Southeast Fire Centre is high to extreme.

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bONES Newbie

bONES

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oh no!

send shelley and fam my love

(Hey starhead, do you know if Tai is still fighting fires out there?)

I don't know..i haven't seen Tai in years!

I'm hoping to talk with my sis again tonight and get an update on their situation.

keep sending out those heady rain vibes friends

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Phunk_Nugget Newbie

Phunk_Nugget

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Yo,

Thanks for the vibes. I am in Nelson, and twas a smokey day here. I actually woke up at about 4am smelling smoke from one of apparently four fires burning in the area. Constant helicopters flyin' in and out with their water buckets.

I was at the Littlefest in the Slocan Valley(+-1hour from Nelson) over the weekend, and the sky was clear for most of the day. In the late afternoon I was seeing people looking backwards from the stage. The smoke was billowing out from behind the mountain's ridge. Looked like a bomb went off, but kept goin'.

Anyways, thanks and I'll try to keep you folks in the know.

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bONES Newbie

bONES

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it's not looking good :(

the fires are getting bigger and moving closer to town

got word yesterday that more homes near Slocan City were told to evacuate

my sisters car is covered in ashes every morning and the air quality is not good

more to the story here

By Thursday afternoon, the Sitkum Creek blaze sat at 1,050 hectares, the Springer Creek fire was 873 hectares, the Kemp Creek blaze near Kaslo was about 200 hectares, the Penstock fire in the Arrow Lakes area was recorded at about 400 hectares and the Hamil Creek fire near Argenta was about 905 hectares.

So far, three homes have been evacuated in the Slocan area, near the Springer Creek Fire, when the fire's boundary expanded to within 100 metres of a house. An extra 11 homes are still under evacuation alert and have been for several days. A further 18 homes are on alert in Penstock and four are on alert in Argenta. The Sitkum Creek fire, located 13 kilometres from Nelson is not threatening any communities or homes at this point.

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bONES Newbie

bONES

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The acting regional chairman for the eastern Kootenays, Josh Smienk said the fire is “fairly close†to Slocan, “but it is moving in the opposite direction. It’s moving north now due to prevailing winds. We’ve issued evacuation orders to the north, not towards Slocan,†he said.
A state of emergency was declared in the Slocan Valley this week as the fire continued to grow north of Nelson, about six kilometres outside of the small community of Slocan City.

The fire is now estimated to be 1,500 hectares.

my sister is just south of Slocan, so this is good news for her and her family.

come on RAIN already!

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Phunk_Nugget Newbie

Phunk_Nugget

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Update.

So, after a clear day here in Nelson yesterday, we are back to the smoke filled Valley. Basically, all of the mountains I'm used to seeing in the distance are hidden. Not to mention the strong smell of forest fire. Apparently they've brought in one of the biggest water bombers in the world. I saw it take off yesterday, and that thing is huge.

I have some friends with a house out in Argenta, and they are on 48hour evacuation notice, and it could switch to 24hours at any point.

I've only ever seen this stuff on the tv when it was happening hours away. It is a really interesting feeling being so close to all of this. Kinda scary.

Please keep sending out the positive vibes, especially to those that are already evacuated. Also, the Kaslo Jazz Festival is on this weekend, and it has fires burning up all around it. Send them some vibes too, as this is a major event for the area. I'll keep ya posted. Hopefully with some pictures next time.

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