Wildfire evacuation orders in Christina Lake, B.C., area rescinded

CHRISTINA LAKE, B.C. — The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary says all evacuation orders and alerts have been rescinded after a wildfire began burning close to the community of Christina Lake.

The district says 42 homes located near Brown Road, Caitlin Road and Kensington Place in the community an hour west of Trail had been evacuated.

The district’s social media pages said around 8 p.m., that all alerts and evacuation orders were being cancelled, with the district’s emergency operations centre noting it was on standby shortly after.

Residents in the community were warned of possible low water pressure as fire crews use the available supply to fight the nearby wildfire.

The BC Wildfire Service says the out-of-control blaze near the evacuation zone is located at Spaulding Creek near Highway 3, and the cause is still under investigation.

A notice from the provincial Ministry of Transportation’s DriveBC information system says Highway 3 was closed due to the blaze for a period of time before a single lane was reopened to alternating traffic.

Christina Lake is located about 21 kilometres east of Grand Forks, B.C., where another tactical evacuation took place days earlier due to the spread of the Goosmus wildfire from Washington state.

The evacuation order and alert there have both been lifted after fire crews brought the Goosmus blaze under control.

The service says there are about 185 active wildfires burning in B.C., with only around 19 of them — or roughly 10 per cent of the total — classified as out of control.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2024.

The Canadian Press