Out of “an abundance of caution”, the District of Tumbler Ridge has activated their Emergency Operations Centre, “to facilitate the continual monitoring of the situation over the weekend,” says Jennifer Thompson, CAO for the District.
She says emergency personal will continue to be in contact with the BC Wildfire Service and Emergency Management BC. “As updated information becomes available, it will be posted to the District of Tumbler Ridge website www.districtoftumblerridge.ca, and through social media streams as time permits.”
While there is no evacuation alerts or orders, Thompson says it is good to be prepared, as there is often little warning. “Emergency preparedness is an invaluable tool to help keep you and your families’ safe in the event that you may need to leave quickly,” says Thompson. “Please take a moment to visit www.preparedbc.ca to learn how you can plan ahead.”
She says the fastest way to get notified in case of an evacuation alert or order is to register for the NEBC Emergency and Public Alert System.
While the smoke (and fire) is currently blowing away from town, that may change if the wind shifts. This may result in poor air quality conditions and have adverse health affects for some residents with respiratory problems. Please take the appropriate precautions to protect yourself if you are susceptible to poor air quality. The BC CDC has information on wildfire smoke and air quality.
To see where all the wildfires are burning, visit the BC Wildfire Map.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.