With many alerts and orders across the region due to wildfires, Penticton’s Emergency Support Services (ESS) have been busy helping a steady stream of evacuees.
Since July 11, the Penticton ESS team has helped 846 evacuees from six different fires, including Garrison Lake and Lytton, get registered for services and assistance.
The Penticton’s ESS originally was opened up to assist the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen with the evacuees from the Thomas Creek and then the Nk’Mip Creek wildfires, and since then they have been open almost every day with registering people who have had to leave their homes.
“We’ve also been asked to help for example with the White Rock Lake Fire, just because there are so many evacuees and those communities can’t necessarily support them all on their own,” said Adam Goodwin, the city’s ESS coordinator. “We’re all coming together to make sure that evacuees can access ESS if they need to.”
READ MORE: BC Wildfire: Expect activity to pick up on South Okanagan wildfires
An important thing to note is that not all of those evacuees have stayed in the city, with many coming through to sign up before either going to friends or family or other arrangements.
The ESS in Penticton has supported 446 evacuees, but there are still more in the community that haven’t registered.
Penticton city staff have been hearing from evacuees on a daily basis that haven’t registered with Penticton ESS and are in urgent need of ESS support while they are under an Evacuation Order from their home community or Indian Band.
If you know or hear of someone in this situation, Penticton ESS has a toll-free phone number at 1-833-498-3770 that the evacuee(s) can call to get registered and discuss supports that ESS may be able to provide while they are evacuated.
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