B.C. wildfires have sparked a reminder to know when and where to go in the event of a blaze in Lake Country.
Several new residents of The Lakes community have been asking about emergency evacuation procedures in light of fire season.
The main evacuation route is Lake Hill Drive. A second emergency route out of the community is available, if needed, accessed from the north end of East Ridge Drive. This second route is gated during non-emergency times.
“If the second route is needed to get residents out of the neighbourhood, coordination with the RCMP to close Highway 97 where it intersects with the emergency route is needed to ensure safe egress of evacuating residents,” the District of Lake Country said.
“The route cannot be used if the highway is not closed. Evacuation route signage has been ordered and will be installed soon in the community.”
Evacuation plans have been prepared for all Lake Country neighbourhoods and are reviewed with emergency responding partners.
Recently, the district’s GIS tech has made the evacuation zone maps into an online interactive format so people just have to enter their address to check their zone and see the access control points for their whole zone at arcgis.com.
Emergency responders train throughout the year, running through a variety of scenarios focusing on safe evacuation procedures and have practical experience evacuating residents during times of emergencies. You can find out more about the emergency plan for the community on the district’s Emergency Preparedness page on its website lakecountry.bc.ca
The public will be notified of an emergency evacuation through a variety of means, but residents and visitors to the community are encouraged to subscribe for e-notification from the District of Lake Country and the Central Okanagan Regional Emergency Program.
READ MORE: North Okanagan regional district offers emergency preparedness resources
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