Residents of Kimberley Special Care Home are now home following the rescinding of local evacuation alerts and orders.
A total of 53 residents were moved to alternate locations on July 23, 2026, due to risks associated with the Matthew Creek Wildfire. In planning for a safe return, Interior Health (IH) has also had to account for potential impacts from the Wait Creek wildfire, which started after the initial evacuation.
IH would like to thank all partners involved for supporting the safe relocation and repatriation of these residents.
IH continues to closely monitor wildfire activity in the Interior in consultation with municipalities, regional districts, and the BC Wildfire Service to help keep staff, physicians and clients who receive care in the community and our facilities safe.
Those requiring support during this crisis are encouraged to call the BC Crisis Line at 310-6789.
Everyone is reminded to prepare for wildfires, and smoky skies as air quality gets worse, by visiting:
https://www.interiorhealth.ca/health-and-wellness/natural-disasters-and-emergencies/wildfires
Install the BC Wildfire Service mobile app (Android or iOS) or visit the BC Wildfire Service
Dashboard to find information on current wildfire activity:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status
The FireWork Forecast shows maps of predicted smoke impacts over the next 48 hours:
https://weather.gc.ca/firework
For additional resources, please visit the Regional District of East Kootenay’s website:
https://www.rdek.bc.ca
