On July 17th 2024, a dry lighting storm struck the Interior of BC, including the Slocan Lake area where 12 fires were ignited that evening. There were 1,277 lighting strikes in the Southeast Fire Centre July 17-19, and by July 20, there were 98 fires burning in the Regional District of Central Kootenay. May and June were wet and cool, but in July a high-pressure ridge settled in and didn’t move so the fuels became very receptive to lightning strikes. With the arrival of slightly cooler weather, the accompanying winds made the fires more active. “Apocalyptic” may be the word most used by the residents of New Denver and Silverton area, when describing July 24th. From the afternoon till the next morning, Valhalla Provincial Park, across the lake from these communities, turned into a wall of fire and eventually this fire jumped the lake, just shy of downtown New Denver. Meanwhile, the Village of Slocan was being threatened by fires on either side. Between July 17 and August 12, the communities and rural areas of Slocan, Silverton, Red Mountain Road, Enterprise, Lemon Creek and Rosebery all received Evacuation Orders, with New Denver area as the only hub that stayed on Evacuation Alert. Highway 6 closed for several weeks, limiting safe escape routes, with the risk of getting trapped on either side by the fires.
Challenges
The fire behaviour of the Slocan Lake Complex was influenced by a variety of challenging conditions. The densely forested valley has steep slopes and rocky terrain that present a lack of safe access or egress routes and complicates firefighting efforts. Fires naturally move uphill, but burning debris can roll downhill, starting fires below. The north and south winds pushed the fires northward and southward. Additionally, the valley experiences downslope winds at night when the air cools and upslope winds during the day, influencing fire direction and intensity. For long periods, the thick smoke from the fires lingered in the valley, restricting the use of aviation. Rural homes in this area are mostly tucked away in the forest, and long driveways are not uncommon. For weeks, evacuated residents were left in the unknown if their homes and properties withstood the fires. Furthermore, the sheer scale of all fires combined in the South East Fire Centre, made it so that fire fighting resources were spread thinly at times.
Wildfires of the Slocan Lake Complex, with total hectares burned:
- Komonko: 4082 (incl Aylwin fire)
- Nemo: 5980
- Wilson: 21
- Ponderosa: 1931
- Mulvey: 2235
Timeline
July 17
Dry lightning storms start 126 new fires in the South East Fire Centre, including 14 fires in the Slocan Lake area, later referred to by BCWS as the “Slocan Lake Complex”.
July 18
First 11 properties evacuated at Aylwin Creek. Red Mountain Road on Evacuation Alert.
July 19
Evacuation Order for Nemo and Red Mountain Road to Enterprise Creek. Silverton area on Evacuation Alert.
July 20
Highway 6 closure for 11.5 km south of Silverton due to out-of-control wildfires.
July 24
Fire Storm. 6:30 PM Evacuation Order for Silverton and area. Nemo Fire travels almost 10 km north this day and jumps Slocan Lake to Wilson Creek at 6:30 PM. Highway 6 closure between New Denver and Silverton.
