SIlverStar Mountain Fire Department crew and truck (Facebook)

By Kevin Rothwell

Entrapment concerns

Update: Funds sought to study emergency evacuation routes

Jan 13, 2021 | 3:00 PM

Update: A grant application to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) for the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund will be made from the Regional District of North Okanagan following a request from electoral area directors.

The proposal is to study and recommend evacuation routes for two areas, the SilverStar Mountain community and the Cosens Bay area.

The application is for $25,000. The budget also includes $10,000 of in-kind contribution from the RDNO.

The SilverStar Mountain community has an estimated winter peak population of over 5,000, and the winter entrapment risk is considered very low. The summer population would top out around 2,000 people, with a high risk of entrapment in the event of a wildfire.

There is a 20 kilometre, two-lane paved road to the resort and community, which is heavily treed on both sides of the road.

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The only other existing emergency route is a 12 to 15 kilometre unmaintained forestry road through dense forest to Trinity Valley.

The other area of study would be Cosens Bay, in Electoral Area B (west and south of Kalamalka Provincial Park). There are 120 homes; some full time and some seasonal.

Those properties are accessed on a 12 kilometre partially maintained single-lane gravel road, which runs through grasslands and wooded areas of the provincial park.

Aside from water access, there are no alternate egress routes available.

“Although not the responsibility of the RDNO, the park is utilized extensively by regional district residents. Entrapment from wildfire will require rapid deployment of evacuation plans,” Alastair Crick, RDNO manager of protective services, stated.

Various government agencies, like B.C. Parks, who are stakeholders in the access routes, roads and lakes would be consulted.