5:30 pm PST
Nelson, BC: On the recommendation of the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has issued an Evacuation Alert due to the Poplar Creek (N71253) wildfire. The Evacuation Alert area includes 30 properties from 15904 Highway 31 north through the community of Poplar Creek to Rapid Creek, located approximately 60 km north of Kaslo in Electoral Area D.
At this time residents or visitors within the area are not required to evacuate, however the RDCK advises people to remain vigilant and be prepared to leave the area at a moment’s notice. It is recommended to prepare an emergency kit and ensure preparedness, including moving pets and livestock to a safe area, in the event the situation worsens, and an Evacuation Order is enforced. Part of your plan should include where you can go if evacuated and ensuring you are registered for Voyent Alert! emergency notifications.
The Poplar Creek wildfire is estimated at 162 hectares. The suspected cause of the wildfire is lightning. Crews are building a control line on the east side of the fire before Highway 31. Aviation resources are assigned to support. BCWS has also issued an area restriction for the Poplar Creek Area. Under this order, a person must not remain in or enter the restricted area without the prior written authorization. Click here for more information.
Updates or changes to the Evacuation Alert will be provided via the RDCK website, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) as more information becomes available. For details about evacuation and emergency preparedness, along with other resources, please visit www.rdck.ca/eocinfo. The RDCK EOC public inquiry line is 250-352-7701.
For up-to-date information on current wildfire activity, conditions and prohibitions, call 1-888-336-7378 or visit www.bcwildfire.ca.
For more information about evacuations and emergency preparedness, along with other resources:
- Current RDCK Evacuation Alerts, Orders and Rescinds or call 250-352-7701
- Sign up for RDCK Emergency Notification System to receive notifications
- RDCK Public Emergency Web Map
- Public weather alerts for BC from Environment Canada
- BC Wildfire – Interactive Map of Current Events
- Fortis BC Outage Map or call 1-866-436-7847
- BC Hydro outage map or call 1-800-224-9376
- Nelson Hydro 1-877-324-9376
- Drive BC for highway closures and road conditions
- For BC Air Quality Health Index
- Prepared BC