As wildfires continue to rage throughout the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) and beyond, the SLRD provided an update on Sunday, Aug. 6.
The SLRD is working closely with the BC Wildfire Service and other agencies in response to what's now being called the Bendor Range Complex fires.
The complex includes the Downton Lake and Casper Creek wildfires, both of which have spurred evacuation orders and alerts, and which now cover 2,476 and 4,586 hectares, respectively.
In its Aug. 6 update, the SLRD confirmed structure loss on nine properties in Gun Lake, including two single-family homes (seasonal, recreational properties) and between 12 and 14 outbuildings (boathouse, garage, pier, storage shed, etc.).
The regional district also confirmed one single-family home burned down in the Highline Road area due to the Casper Creek fire.
The SLRD is hiring a recovery manager to expedite the recovery process for those affected.
“We recognize that this continues to be a highly stressful situation for our residents in this community,” said SLRD Board Chair, Jen Ford, in the update. “We are heartbroken to know that some structures have been lost, and understand that all of this is taking a tremendous toll on the community."
The SLRD's priority has been to conduct the rapid damage assessment work, verify the information and share it with the property owners who are directly impacted, she added.
"We appreciate that many community members have been awaiting information on the extent of the damage. Our priority was to ensure that we were able to reach the property owners who suffered structure loss as a result of this fire, before releasing information to the public,” she said.
“We appreciate the community’s patience as we work through this process, and understand that there continues to be a great deal of anxiety as the Evacuation Order remains in place. We encourage all residents within Evacuation Order zones, if you have not already done so, to register for Emergency Support Services. And residents where Evacuation Alerts are in place should prepare for the possibility of evacuation.”
Stay up to date with the latest alerts and notices at slrd.bc.ca.
