Community resilience centre set up for those affected by wildfires in B.C.

British Columbia’s Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness, Naomi Yamamoto, has announced the setting up of a community resilience centre for those affected by wildfires in Rock Creek and Oliver.

Yamamoto made the announcement on Tuesday, while visited wildfire-impacted communities. “We know this is a difficult and uncertain time for many residents,” she said in a statement from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Our hearts are with those who have had to leave their homes, and especially those who have suffered the terrible loss of losing a home to the fires.”

Through the local authority and supported by the Integrated Disaster Council of B.C., the community resilience centre in Midway will help connect residents with support programs offered by agencies like the Canadian Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse, Mennonite Disaster Services, the Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team and the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the statement noted. Counselling support through Disaster Psychosocial Services is also provided to help residents and volunteers work through the emotional trauma that a disaster can present.

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Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Mike Morris, joined Yamamoto on the visit to survey the affected area and speak with impacted residents and volunteers, commending the communities that received evacuees for their efforts to help those fleeing the fires. “The people of Rock Creek, Westbridge, Oliver and others affected by these fires must now focus on rebuilding their communities and their homes, which makes this type of relief so important,” said Morris.

Morris is currently conducting a review of the fine and penalty structures related to human-caused forest fires.

The community resilience centre is now open. General inquiries can be directed to the Kootenay Boundary Regional District’s Emergency Operations Centre at (250) 368-9127 or 1-888-747-9119. For affected residents who have lost homes, contact (250) 368-0254.

The fire west of Rock Creek was 4,260 hectares in size as of Thursday morning, according to the BC Wildfire Service. Discovered on Aug. 13, the fire is about 50% contained. The Testalinden Creek wildfire, located about seven kilometres south of Oliver was 2,500 hectares as of Thursday morning and also about 50% contained. The fire was discovered on Aug. 14 and airtankers, nine helicopters and 119 firefighters are working to contain it.