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Getting out of town

This is the Salmon Arm evacuation map that was issued during the Fire of 1998. The community was divided into 5 zones. Zone 1 bordered Fly Hills and was south west of Salmon Arm. The Silver Creek Fire burned out of control in Zone 1, destroying many houses. North of Zone 1 was Zone 2, which also bordered on Fly Hills, but it was not evacuated. Zone 3 was east of Zone 1, heavily populated and threatened by the fire. Zones 4 and 5 sandwiched Zone 3 - north and south of Zone 3. They were not evacuated.

Feature image:
Evacuation Map showing the community of Salmon Arm divided into zones. Zone 1 was the first to evacuate. Zone 3 evacuated on August 9^th.

Photo credit:
James Murray, Salmon Arm Observer, c. 1998

Premier Glen Clark called a press conference. It was a state of emergency.

Just before the evacuation residents were told to fill their tanks up with gasoline because the pumps at the filling stations were going to be turned off. Volunteers went door to door, making sure everyone knew they had to leave.

Everyone was asked to register at the community centre before leaving Salmon Arm. Red Cross Volunteers asked, “where do you plan to go?”

Man in with a mustache, wearing a grey golf shirt and a blue Rapattack baseball cap stands before many microphones.

The Premier arrives.

Woman in a red pinny and braided hair leans forward towards a woman wearing a blue/green shirt. Eight other people are busy with paperwork.

The Salmon Arm Community Centre was set up as a reception area to track the 7,000 people who were evacuated. Maureen Curtis, first Red Cross Volunteer on the scene, talks to an evacuee.