British Columbia is in a State of Emergency. Since the BC Wildfires began a few months ago, over 24,000 people have been evacuated with many more evacuation alerts in place. Since BC’s fire season began its 2017 reign, over 458,000 hectares of land and communities have been affected. If you live near a fire area or if you have friends and family that do, it’s important to ensure that you know what to do in the event of an evacuation.

Included are some valuable resources to help with your emergency responsiveness. From preparing your home to planning your meeting point – it’s important to have a plan in place even if you’re far away from a current wildfire of note. With dry conditions and changing winds, fires are unpredictable and dangerous.

Remember:

• Fire Zones are NO DRONE ZONES: Water Tankers are dealing with smoke, poor visibility, and tumultuous conditions, give them space.
• While evacuating: drive slowly and carefully, visibility is limited and we need to do our part to get everyone out safely
• Once evacuated: do not re-enter the area, emergency responders need room to work and need to ensure the safety of our communities.

For more information:

The Regional District of East Kootenay has provided a comprehensive checklist for managing your evacuation, you can find it here. Also, to keep up to date with the current BC Wildfire situation, please visit British Columbia Public Safety and Emergency Services website. Here you can find useful phone numbers, interactive maps, and information bulletins to help you stay informed and prepared. Lastly, if you want to help support the communities that have been affected by the BC Wildfires, please donate to the Canadian Red Cross.

Preparing Yourself for Wildfires

Wildfire Protections for Your Home

Home Inventory Checklist

It is important to note that insurance carriers often suspend the issuance of new policies that are within a 25km to 50km range of an active forest fire. If you are unsure as to how this will affect you or if you have any questions and want to know more about preparing your home or business for the wildfires, please contact our office today.