Tuesday, July 27, 2021
13:00 Hours
An Evacuation Alert has been issued by the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) at the Shuswap Emergency Program’s Emergency Operations Centre in conjunction with the Thompson Nicola Regional District’s (TNRD) Evacuation Order and the Regional District of North Okanagan’s (RDNO) Evacuation Alert. A wildfire burning in the area of White Rock Lake near the boundary of the TNRD, RDNO and the CSRD’s Electoral Area D is growing and may pose a danger. As a precautionary measure and due to the potential danger to life, health or property, the Evacuation Alert issued on July 26, 2021 has been expanded to now include the following areas:
- The south-west corner of CSRD Electoral Area D, including the communities of Falkland and Sweetsbridge, and all properties along Chase-Falkland Road to Joyce Lake.
Please see the attached map of the Evacuation Alert Area as part of this Alert
An Evacuation Alert is a warning about a potential threat to life and/or property. It is intended to give you time to be ready for a possible evacuation. Residents will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to evacuation, however, you may receive limited notice due to changing conditions. View the July 27 2021 New Evacuation Alert White Rock Lake Fire Falkland (PDF).
What you should you do when an alert is in effect
Upon notification of an alert:
- All residents self-register with Emergency Support Services online. You can also search this on Google using the term BC Evacuation Registration and Assistance. When registering, please indicate your community as Falkland. This step provides important information in case of an evacuation.
- In case of an Evacuation Order, your safest route out of the area is to travel east along Highway 97.
- Locate your grab-and-go bags for you and your family. Gather essential items such as medications, eyeglasses, valuable papers, immediate care needs for dependents. Replenish any items that have expired or need replacement, ensure you and your family members have enough clothing and incidentals for a 72-hour period and have these items readily available for quick departure. See the Public emergency preparation and recovery webpage for details.
- Contact family members, advise them of the situation and determine a meeting location outside of the evacuation area where you can safely reconnect should the area be evacuated.
- Accommodation in the area is limited at this time of year. Arrange to stay with family or friends, if possible, or consider finding a campsite outside the alert area.
- Take care of your pets by moving them to a safe location (including horses and hobby farm animals).
- Arrange transportation for all household members. Prepare to move any disabled persons and/or children. Fill the gas tanks of personal vehicles.
- Regularly monitor the CSRD website, the Shuswap Emergency Program’s (SEP) webpage, the Shuswap Emergency on Facebook and Twitter, the CSRD's Facebook, Twitter platforms or local news sources for up-to-date and accurate information. Or sign up for Alertable, our new emergency mass notification system.
For update on wildfire information, see the BC Wildfire Service.
For more information, contact:
CSRD Emergency Operations Centre
Phone: 250.833.3350
