Highway 3 traffic remains closed in the Kootenay Pass on Friday morning due to heavy smoke and debris from the Blazed Creek wildfire approximately 20 km west of Creston. There is a possibility Hwy 3 could be open to single-lane traffic from 10:30 to 12:00 if conditions allow.
While the fire, which covers an estimated 5,642 hectares, has not grown dramatically in size this week, its proximity to Highway 3 and a major power line remains a concern.
“Crews along with heavy equipment and air support are working to protect critical infrastructure,” according to the Southeast Fire Centre. Ten firefighters, a helicopter and five pieces of heavy equipment are on the scene.
Check www.drivebc.ca for the latest closure information.
To the east of the Creston Valley, the communities of Yahk, Meadow Creek Road and Highway 3/95 are under an evacuation alert.
For more information on this alert, call the RDEK at 250 426-2188 or visit their website at rdek.bc.ca.
Twenty-three firefighters and two helicopters are at work on the Randal Creek wildfire.
Another source of smoke covering the Creston Valley and East Shore areas, Meachen Creek, is now listed at 5,685 hectares and has been moving steadily to the north.
An evacuation order has been issued by the RDEK in the St. Mary Lake area from the west boundary of the City of Kimberley to the Redding Creek/St. Mary River convergence including St. Mary Lake Road and Lakefront Road. An evacuation alert has been issued by the RDEK for the entire City of Kimberley Municipal Boundary, and properties in the RDEK directly south and southeast of the City of Kimberley Municipal Boundary. For more information on these alerts, call the RDEK at 250 426-2188 or visit their website at www.rdek.bc.ca