EVENING UPDATE:
The RDCK says fire crews have made significant progress in the last 24 hours on the Merry Creek Wildfire.
Structure protection crews have been able to place resources on all homes requiring protection.
Work has focused on danger tree assessing and falling, while helicopters continue bucketing activities.
Interior Health has relocated the residents of both Castleview Care Centre and Talarico Place to different facilities within the Kootenay Boundary.
RELATED: Residents of two Castlegar care homes relocated due to wildfire
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Smoke and burnt trees are visible from the area of the Merry Creek Wildfire which has now covered about 15 hectares near Castlegar.
The billows of smoke from the human-caused fire are much smaller than they were yesterday.
The BC Wildfire Service considers the fire out of control.
PREVIOUS: More evacuations ordered, RDCK declares state of emergency as wildfire burns in Castlegar
For Friday, the BC Wildfire Service has assigned 20 firefighters and two helicopters to the fire.
According to the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK), additional structure protection resources arrived this morning and work by structure protection crews is ongoing.
No structure loss has occurred at this time.
“Extensive resources have been deployed on the Merry Creek wildfire,” said Nora Hannon, EOC director and RDCK regional fire chief. “Crews have made good progress on the fire and with the deployment of structural protection resources.”
More than 30 properties within the RDCK are under an evacuation order. The evacuation area covers residential addresses on 14th Ave., Fernwood Drive, Highway 3, Killough Road, Lucas Ave, Lucas Road, Mason Road and Merry Creek Forest Service Road.
A separate evacuation order for properties within the City of Castlegar was downgraded to an evacuation alert last night.
The evacuation alert covers Meadowbrook Drive, Tassone Place, Highland Drive, Castleview Care Centre, 14th Avenue north of Highway 3, Forest Road and Grosvenor Place.
Residents of Castleview Care Centre were safely evacuated yesterday and spent the night at the Castlegar Community Complex.
Highway 3 remains closed in both directions. A detour is in effect. Visit DriveBC for road closure information.
The most current City of Castlegar information can be found at castlegar.ca/wildfire.
Regional District residents can find information at rdck.ca or by calling 250.352.7701.
More updates to come …
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betsy.kline@castlegarnews.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
