Kettle River Museum Presents
Tiller’s Folly FUNDRAISER FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE ROCK CREEK FIRE
September 11, 2015 Call 250-449-2614 to get your tickets
$
1.10
Includes tax
Times THE BOUNDARY CREEK
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015
VOL. 33 Number 34
COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER
OCP WORK BEGINS
SHOW ‘N SHINE
Businesses and residents alike chipped in to help those evacuated from the Rock P Creek fire area.
Vicki Gee, RDKB area E director, announced the steering committee for the OCP. P
A mini-car show held in Greenwood on Saturday saw a good turnout despite the wildfire turmoil. P
7
9
16
600 evacuated from Rock Creek Wildfire grows to 4,000 Ha
Wing Night
ANDREW TRIPP
Wednesday 5 - 8 pm
Texas Holdem Poker
Thursday, Registration 6:30 pm
Karaoke
Saturday, August 29 8:30 pm Family Friendly • Rooms Available
250-449-2655
Bob Bugeaud 250-449-1982
bordercountrybob.ca
KELOWNA (Wstbrg)
Boundary Creek Times Reporter
The Rock Creek/Westbridge fire continues to burn, though it is now 25% contained. According to BC Wildfire, the fire’s growth has slowed in recent days, though it’s size remains at slightly more than 4,000 hectares. The fire began on August 13 at approximately 1:30 p.m. Its origin has been identified as the sharp highway curve known as Bishops Bend, at the beginning of the long climb toward the Anarchist Summit, and is suspected to be human-caused. The fire moved rapidly and destructively, consuming 14km in approximately five hours. At last report it had reached approximately two kilometers beyond the Christian Valley junction. According to eyewitnesses, another fire Smoke from the Rock Creek fire billowed over the erupted approximately two hours after the start area Thursday. Andrew Tripp photo of the initial blaze, close to Rock Creek’s hub,
and merged with that already ascending the tinder-dry mountainside. Hulme Creek resident Nick Bond described the flames at one point as “Hiroshima-like.” As the fire burned out of control, evacuation orders were quickly put in place, forcing residents to flee with any possessions they could gather and, just as importantly for many, get their animals together as best they could and attempt to get them to safety. The corridor that the fire was ravaging, primarily on the west side of the Kettle River, is made up largely of ranch land, home to thousands of domestic animals as well as hundreds of pets. Many simply opened their gates to allow their animals to flee independently, providing them with the only chance at survival they might have. Many residents refused to leave their properties, instead choosing to battle the fires themselves. While authorities are highly critical of
• See WILDFIRE page A3
Crews continue to battle blaze ANDREW TRIPP
Boundary Creek Times Reporter
Glen Burgess of the BC Wildfire Service provided an update on the extent of the Rock Creek/ Westbridge blaze on Sunday at a special information Located in Westbridge and session aimed at providing impacted residents with proud to service the area some long-awaited news about their properties. Bur1-250-446-6808 gess reported that the fire had progressed about 1km beyond the Christian Valley junction, in contrast to �������������������������� ��������������������������������������� earlier speculation that it had travelled much further. Referring to a map that outlined the affected area, Burgess explained that not all of that area had been burned. “There are patches inside this area that are not burnt”, said Burgess, “irrigated pasture, pockets Midway Community Hall was quickly set up as the Rock Creek fire evacuation centre. Just as of the timber, areas like that. Some areas are black, of quickly, donations poured in from residents and businesses throughout the Boundary to help 0 24543 16681 8 Craig Lindsay photo • See CREWS BATTLE BLAZE page A9 out the evacuees.
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