Patience is being urged as crews continue to battle the two-month-old Bush Creek East wildfire.
The blaze, which destroyed 176 homes within the regional district and partially damaged another 50, is still classified as being out of control.
It’s currently estimated at 43,346 hectares, around 300 ha larger than it was on Sept. 1.
During the past two weeks, several evacuation orders have been downgraded, allowing thousands of displaced North Shuswap residents to return home – or to visit their now-fire-razed properties.
Eventually, homes will be rebuilt, but that won’t be happening immediately.
Columbia Shuswap Regional District public information officer Tracy Hughes said geotechnical assessments are underway, “and the board (of directors) has determined that until they have been completed for these areas, there will be a temporary restriction on issuing building permits.”
The restriction is needed, said Hughes, as with some areas now being devoid of trees, they could be prone to landslide, rockfall, erosion and flooding.
However, the regional district noted that this is a temporary measure, and that affected residents still need to take a number of steps before a building permit can be issued.
“Those pieces of work can still be completed,” said Hughes. “But those building permits will be withheld until an assessment is done for their area.”
She added, “the last thing we want is for people to rebuild and have a potential landslide or a rockfall that could damage (the house) or injure them.”
The assessments could take four to six weeks, “but the whole area, itself, could take up to three months.”
Of note, Hughes said owners of destroyed homes could be exempt from the moratorium if they hire a private geotechnical firm to assess their property.
Once the assessments are done, the CSRD will likely see a flood of building applications, leading to even longer wait times, though low-risk areas would be green lit first before high-risk areas.
Factor in a limited number of housing contractors and scores of residents clambering to acquire building supplies, and the wait times add up.
On top of the 176 homes destroyed, the First Nation of Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw (Little Shuswap Lake Band) reported that it had lost 85 structures.
“It’s going to take time to work through these steps,” said Hughes. “I know our board and our staff are committed to expediting this process as quickly as we can for people.
“We understand people want to rebuild as quickly as possible. But our No. 1 priority is public safety. There are steps that need to be taken to achieve that.
“We do ask for peoples’ patience because it is going to be a process.”
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