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Emergency Management
August 31, 2023 - Category 1 campfire prohibition to be rescinded in the Southeast
Effective at 12:00 noon PDT on Friday, September 1, 2023, campfires will again be allowed in the Southeast Fire Centre.
The BC Wildfire Service takes several factors into account before rescinding open burning prohibitions. This includes balancing the needs of the public with the need to mitigate the risk of human-caused wildfires. The combination of current and future forecasts, recent precipitation, and improved overnight recoveries has reduced the need to prohibit campfires in the Southeast.
For more information visit the BC Wildfire Information Bulletin page
August 22, 2023 - Interior Health air quality guidance
During smoky conditions:
- Stay indoors: Reduce time spent outside to protect your health
- Reduce outdoor physical activity: Refer to the Air Quality Health Index and decrease physical exertion when air quality is poor
- Consider wearing a well fitted respirator if you cannot access cleaner air: Use a well fitted respirator (e.g., N95, KN95) to reduce exposure to particulate matter in smoke
- Activate medical management plans: Ensure your plan to self-manage any chronic diseases (e.g., respiratory and cardiovascular diseases) is in place and up-to-date, and that adequate rescue medications are available
- Use a home clean air shelter: Spend time in a room in your home with a portable air cleaner with HEPA filtration to reduce smoke exposure
Wildfire smoke and your mental health
Smoky skies can affect us physically and also make us feel anxious and stressed. There are actions we can take to help improve and manage our mental wellness through these stressful times.
- Manage stress: Use stress-relief techniques such as meditation or focusing on a creative outlet (e.g., journaling and art)
- Tap in to social networks: Having conversations and spending time with people closest to us is especially important during emergencies and disasters
- Take care: Eat well, exercise indoors, drink lots of water and get enough sleep
- Help others: Assisting others can help us regain a sense of purpose and community as we confront challenges together. The Emergency Support Services Program welcomes and relies on volunteers to coordinate support services for people forced from their homes in an emergency.
Resources
- Visit the BCCDC wildfire smoke webpage to learn more about the health effects of wildfire smoke, how to prepare for wildfire season, and more
- For other steps to create cleaner air space at home, check out Health Canada’s online resource Guidance for Cleaner Air Spaces during Wildfire Smoke Events
- To learn about the steps that you can take to prepare for a wildfire and manage wildfire-related issues before, during or after a wildfire please visit our wildfires webpage
- Call 8-1-1 or your primary care provider if you're experiencing more severe symptoms, such as shortness of breath or chest pain, or 911 if it's a health emergency
August 18, 2023
A significant cold front moving over the Southeast will bring winds which will increase fire potential. Winds are expected to shift later Friday and calm as the cold front passes the area.
Revelstoke is currently experiencing a heavy smoke impact partially from the Hiren Creek fire. BCWS confirms the Hiren Creek fire is not expected to pose a threat the City.
CSRD is responding to fires North of Salmon Arm – these fires are one source of smoke that is impacting Revelstoke.
Highway 97 between Coldstream and Peachland is closed Friday afternoon. Check DriveBC.ca for updates on impacts to BC Highways.
Interior Health suggests the best way to protect your health from wildfire smoke is to reduce your exposure to smoke and seek cleaner air.
- Stay indoors: Reduce time spent outdoors to protect your health.
- Reduce outdoor physical activity: Refer to the Air Quality Health Index and decrease physical exertion outdoors in when air quality is poor
- Consider wearing a well fitted respirator if you cannot access cleaner air: Use a well fitted respirator (e.g., N95, KN95) properly to reduce exposure to particulate matter in smoke.
- Activate medical management action plans: Ensure that your plan to self-manage any chronic diseases (e.g., respiratory and cardiovascular diseases) are in place and up to date, and that adequate rescue medications are available.
- Use a home clean air shelter: Spend time in a room in your home with a portable air cleaner with HEPA filtration to reduce smoke exposure.
July 10, 2023
SPECIAL OCCASION FIRE / CAMPFIRE BAN IN EFFECT FOR THE CITY OF REVELSTOKE
Effective at 3:00 PM on Monday, July 10, 2023, and until further notice, all Special Occasion Fires are PROHIBITED in the City of Revelstoke.
Special occasion fires include campfires and fire pits on City and Private land.
To report a fire emergency, please call 911 24/7.
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For Further Information Contact
Steven DeRousie, Fire Chief, 250-837-2884
After-Hours Revelstoke Fire Department, 250-837-2884
Unseasonably hot weather will develop over BC Interior beginning today. Timespan: Today through Tuesday. Hazards: Daytime highs rising into the low to mid 30's over the central and southern interior while northern regions will see temperatures reaching the mid to high 20s. Overnight and early morning lows are expected to be in the low to mid-teens. The BC Interior will experience unseasonably hot weather beginning today. The highest temperatures are expected from Sunday through Tuesday. Daytime highs will be 10 to 15 degrees Celsius above seasonal values while overnight lows will be 5 to 10 degrees above what is normally experienced this time of year. Freezing levels will rise throughout this event leading to increased snowpack melting with possible local flooding due to high stream flow levels. With elevated temperatures, the risk of heat related illnesses will increase. While the developing heat conditions may result in daily temperature records being broken, it must be emphasized that the expected hot conditions will not approach those reached during the "Heat Dome" of late June 2021.
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August 3, 2022
City of Revelstoke Media Release
Campfire Ban Taking Effect
Revelstoke · BC – Effective noon Thursday August 4, 2022 a prohibition on all open fires within the municipality of Revelstoke will commence, in alignment with the provincial prohibition. This prohibition will remain in effect until the public is otherwise notified. A map of affected areas is available here.
This open fire prohibition is authorized by Fire Protection and Prevention Bylaw No. 1772 sections 5.03 (j.) (k.) and (l.).
In addition to campfires, Category 2, and Category 3 open fires - the following activities are also prohibited:
- fireworks;
- sky lanterns, burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description;
- air curtain burners;
- binary exploding targets;
- tiki and similar kind torches; and,
- the use of chimineas, outdoor stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses that are not CSA-approved or ULC-approved
During the provincial open fire prohibition the use of propane fueled campfire pits, barbeques, campstoves, and briquette barbeques are permitted but must be supervised at all times while in use.
To report a fire within the City of Revelstoke, call 911 immediately.
To report a wildfire 1 800 663-5555 or *5555 on a cell
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For Further Information Contact:
Mayor Gary Sulz, 250-837-2911
Steven DeRousie, Fire Chief, 250-837-2884
Friday, July 21, 2022
City of Revelstoke Media Release
Extreme Heat Event Preparedness
Revelstoke, BC –
An Extreme Heat Event, defined as 35 degrees celsius or hotter over two consecutive days AND more than 18 degrees celsius at night, can trigger a variety of heat stress conditions.
The City of Revelstoke would like to inform residents and visitors that the Revelstoke Community & Aquatic Center, located at 600 Campbell Ave, will be open during daylight hours as a cooling station for those seeking relief from an extreme heat event.
Information on staying safe and healthy during an extreme heat event can be found at Beat the Heat and Prepared BC Heat Guide.
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Revelstoke Fire Rescue and BC Wildfire are aware of a small fire burning on the west side of Upper Arrow Lake above Mulvehill Creek and Blanket Creek Provincial Park. This fire currently does not present as a threat to Revelstoke or any known structures in the area.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
The City of Revelstoke is prepared and ready to staff an Emergency Operations Centre Level 1 should the need arise.
Friday, July 23, 2021
In times of crisis, it is important residents have access to trusted, timely and accurate information to ensure their own safety and that of their family and loved ones. In response to this need, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, which operates the Shuswap Emergency Program, has chosen Alertable as an emergency notification program.
This program will serve the Columbia Shuswap Regional District's Emergency Programs including:
Revelstoke and Area Emergency Program (RAEMP)
- CSRD Electoral Area B
- City of Revelstoke
To view CSRD Media Release and Sign Up CLICK here
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Given the events around the province in the past few weeks, the questions and concerns from the community regarding what to do in the event of an emergency are understandable. It can become confusing very quickly when there are multiple agencies giving various versions of information. The City of Revelstoke has a well established Emergency Response Plan that contains a wide variety of identified potential risks to the community and provides guidance to address an appropriate response to those risks should they occur.
Providing the public with emergency response instructions today, when an event has not occurred could result in confusion. Every incident is different and requires some adjustment to the pre-planning to ensure that our emergency response approach is as effective as possible. In the case of a wildfire, our directions would vary based on the location and severity of the fire. For example, the actual conditions may not require evacuation of the entire City. It could be dangerous to pre-emptively provide guidance to the public on where to evacuate to without that guidance being directly associated with an existing emergency situation as the actual conditions may require a different instruction to be given. In some cases, it may be necessary to establish a reception centre. (mustering point) The reception centre would be established in a safe location based on the actual event and directions given to evacuated residents to register there. Evacuees would be provided additional and relevant information then or subsequently as it becomes available to the City.
In regard to alerts and notifications for local emergency events, the City's existing Emergency Response Plan has an established Communication Plan that is carried out by a designated Information Officer in the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). That person then uses all available methods to inform the public of details specific to the emerging incident, and to provide a clear and consistent message. The City’s Emergency Management Team has been working with CSRD to bring an EMERGENCY ALERT system up to date for Revelstoke and Area residents. Once this is available, the City will provide advice on how to sign up to receive local emergency alert information. At this time, the Federal Alert Ready system is restricted to Federal, Provincial, and Territorial governments (ie. the Province of British Columbia use only), although it’s possible this may change in the future.
Vulnerable and non-driving residents are typically the first to be addressed at the earliest stages of an evacuation alert to address the time lag. The various agencies that support this population on a day-to-day basis are usually the best resource to assist the EOC in planning and they would be called upon as appropriate. There are many inter-agency connections that exist to address these concerns, however, the City will always encourage people to help look out for their family, friends, and neighbours that may need assistance. Again, if an incident only affects a portion of the city, the City would not order the entire community to evacuate when they are not affected. The city does have access to busses and other transportation resources in the event these might be required, both for in town and out-of-town transport.
The City recognizes that most of the answers come back to “it depends”. This is because while communities can prepare and plan for certain trigger points, actions that need to be taken for any given incident always depend on the most up-to-date information related to the standard questions: what, where, when, who, and how? When an incident or certain type of incident occurs that threatens a population, the community's Emergency Response Team needs to evaluate the known risks and consequences to effectively execute necessary steps to protect life and property. The City would like to reassure the residents that there is a well established Emergency Response Plan specific to Revelstoke that provides clear guidance for responding appropriately to a wide variety of potential risks. This Plan can and will be activated anytime it is deemed to be necessary and can be utilized to respond to and mitigate both small and large emergencies.
Wednesday, July 14, 2021 : Emergency Information - Staying Informed before and during a local emergency event
Emergencies can happen at any time with little to no warning. Are you ready? By knowing the hazards, gathering supplies, and having a plan, you may be able to protect the health and safety of yourself and others.
View Media Release