Thursday, July 9, 2015
arrowlakesnews.com • 250-265-3841 • $1.25 • PM40036531 Vol.94 • Issue 27 7 78195
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Purple Pirate puts on a rousing show
Hooting and hollering down at the ballfields
New guidebook for managing bats
See page 5
See page 6 & 7
See page 9
Evacuation alert
lifted on Silverton fire
House burns in Hills, woman missing STAFF WRITER Arrow Lakes News
Aircraft drops flame retardant on wild fire. STAFF WRITER Arrow Lakes News
Residents who have been living under an evacuation alert due to the Mt. Aylwin wildfire can breathe a little easier: the alert affecting 35 people south of Silverton has been lifted. The Regional District of Central Kootenay made the announcement based on a recommendation from the BC Wildfire Service.
Photo credit to Aline Winje
“The RDCK thanks residents for their cooperation during the evacuation alert and expresses deep gratitude to the firefighting crews who have been working hard to keep our residents and their homes safe,” a statement read. Cooler temperatures and rain have helped cool the blaze and crews will be working towards mop up in the next few days, according to fire information officer Jordan Turner. A 20-person unit crew from Revelstoke is working directly on the fire putting out
Nakusp’s 510 Broadway St W, Nakusp, BC (250) 265-3662
hot spots. “We believe the risk [to residents] is substantially reduced,” Turner said Tuesday morning, adding the alert was issued on Saturday as the fire was burning “quite hot and dry, and burning at night and was fairly intense.” Crews constructed a helipad to gain better access to the blaze as the ground is quite steep making the access difficult and time consuming. This has allowed the firefighters to get onsite earlier and stay later.
A house in Hills burned to the ground early Monday and the homeowner is missing. Slocan Lake RCMP received the call just after midnight and arrived on Purdy Road to find a house fully engulfed in flames and the homeowner, a 44-yearold woman, unaccounted for. It’s believed she may have gone back inside to save some personal items and been trapped inside, but police can’t confirm this yet. Local residents with help from the Hills volunteer fire department extinguished the blaze before it could spread to the nearby forest, but according to Sgt. Darryl Little, the house was destroyed. The investigation is still in its very early stages, Little said, so the cause is undetermined. However, there was no sign of foul play. The investigation will be conducted by RCMP with the assistance of the Fire Commissioner’s office who provided an investigator Tuesday. Anyone with information on the matter is urged to contact RCMP.
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