Firefighters responding to the Bush Creek wildfire near Sorrento (photo courtesy of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District)

By Liam Verster

Evacuee Estimates

Nearly 6,800 people forced from homes due to Shuswap wildfire

Aug 31, 2023 | 11:20 AM

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District has provided new information on the number of evacuees related to the Bush Creek East Wildfire.

The CSRD estimated 6,793 individuals had been forced to evacuate 3,685 properties in the Shuswap.

As of the morning of Wednesday, August 30, the evacuees included:

• 2,888 from Scotch Creek (1,444 properties)
• 1,550 from Lee Creek/Tsútswecw Park (804 properties)
• 1,266 from Celista (784 properties)
• 874 from Magna Bay (453 properties)
• 183 from Lower East Adams Lake – Rawson Road (92 properties)
• 30 from Sorrento, Notch Hill (22 properties)
• Two from 229 TCH (one property)

The CSRD noted the order for Sorrento, Notch Hill was new as of Wednesday.

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There were also evacuation alerts in place for an estimated 5,210 individuals in 3,226 properties in the area.

The highest population concentration under the alerts were Anglemont (1,900), Little River/Sorrento/Notch Hill (1,608), and West Blind Bay and Notch Hill (1,285).

The alert for Little River/Sorrento/Notch Hill was new as of Wednesday as well.

As of Wednesday, August 30, the areas in red were under Evacuation Orders while the yellow sections were under Alerts due to the Bush Creek East wildfire (image courtesy of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District)

At last estimate the Bush Creek East wildfire was approximately 43,000 hectares in size.

The B.C. Wildfire Service stated 311 wildland firefighters, 73 support staff, 73 pieces of heavy equipment and 78 structural protection personnel were responding to the Bush Creek fire.

There are also 18 helicopters and an Incident Management Team responding as needed to the Bush Creek wildfire and the Rossmoore Lake wildfire south of Kamloops.