Update: Shambala Music Festival Will Go Ahead

The Shambala Music Festival will be able to complete its event.

Organizers of the festival near Salmo in southern BC have announced the wetter cooler weather has downgraded the risk of the McCormick Creek fire moving closer to the Salmo River Ranch property where the event is held.

The organizers say the decision was made after hours of meetings on Sunday morning with the Regional District of Central Kootenay and other local government.

The 337 hectare fire is about 9 km’s from the festival site.

Sunday is the final night for the festival, which remains on evacuation alert issued by the Regional District of Central Kootenay.

Event organizers say ending a day early would have meant a loss of about a half million dollars to the festival and the dozens of food and craft vendors.

The Shambhala Music Festival near Salmo is now a victim of the McCormick Creek Wildfire.

Organizers have decided to shut down the event a day earlier.

Approximately 16 thousand people are attending the festival along with about three thousand staff.

The concert will go on tonight, but tomorrow’s performances have been cancelled.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay had earlier placed the festival on an evacuation alert.

After reviewing the fire status, the organizers and regional district agreed that to ensure the safety of all involved, it was best to cancel the last day.

Organizer Jimmy Bundshuh says people attending the festival are being asked to pack their belongings tonight so that they can have an easier departure on Sunday.

He says they decided against cancelling this evening’s performance to prevent sending people out onto the highways unprepared to drive and risking dangerous conditions.

Bundshuh says ending a day early will mean a loss of about a half million dollars to the festival and the dozens of food and craft vendors.

The Ministry of Transportation has put the inland ferries on 24 hour service for anyone who does want to leave early.

Because of the fire, High 6 is closed from the junction with High 3 to the U-S border and the border crossing is closed.

The McCormick Creek fire is estimated at 350 hectares and is 9 kilometres southwest of the festival site and 20 kilometres southwest of Salmo.

It is burning south of the Salmo River.

BC Wildfire Service firefighters were quick to jump on spot fires that started across the Salmo River.

The majority of the fire is burning on the south side of the Salmo River with any growth occurring on the east flank of the fire.

There are 37 fire fighters with six pieces of heavy equipment fighting the fire with help from four helicopters.

Earlier, an evacuation order was given for 39 properties near Nelway.