A new evacuation alert was issued Tuesday as a result of the Octopus Creek wildfire on the east side of Lower Arrow Lake, which has now burned more than 23,000 hectares.
The Regional District of Central Kootenay issued the alert for four properties and two recreation sites between Pebble Beach and Twobit Creek on the recommendation of the BC Wildfire Service.
That is in addition to 170 properties that were already on alert, having been downgraded from an evacuation order on Aug. 8.
The Octopus Creek fire is part of the Arrow Lakes wildfire complex, which showed modest growth over the last week, eastward up Hutchinson and Gladstone Creeks. It is very visible from Renata, Edgewood, and Fauquier. As of Tuesday, it had 31 firefighters working on it.
The Michaud Creek fire, on the west side of the lake, was over 14,000 hectares and had 51 firefighters and 14 pieces of heavy equipment assigned to it. It has grown near the Faith Creek drainage, west of Renata. Firefighters, aircraft, and heavy equipment were expected to establish new control lines to protect Renata.
Both fires were caused by lightning on July 10-11 and are still classified as out of control.
An incident management team of 32 personnel, a total of 112 firefighters, 16 pieces of heavy equipment, and eight helicopters are dedicated to the Arrow Lakes complex.
Meanwhile, an evacuation alert issued due to the Trozzo Creek wildfire in the Slocan Valley has been cancelled. The RDCK lifted the alert for the area from south of Popou Road north to Ringrose Creek as the imminent danger has dropped.
That fire stood at just under 6,000 hectares on Tuesday. It was discovered July 9 and is believed to have been started by lightning. Evacuation alerts and orders were issued July 21, but the area covered by the order was reduced to an alert the following day, and the order was further downgraded to an alert on Aug. 3.
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