Structures in the North Shuswap are believed to have been lost to the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire.

A sombre Derek Sutherland, director of the Shuswap Emergency Program鈥檚 (SEP) Emergency Operations Centre, confirmed Friday night, Aug. 18, that the fire hall in Scotch Creek had burned down. He said the Squilax gas station is also believed to have burned down. Sutherland hasn鈥檛 been able to confirm the loss of the gas station or other structures, but said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 been absolutely the most devastating day of wildfire in the Shuswap鈥檚 history.鈥�

Salmon Arm resident Brandi Butts said her husband is in the process of evacuating firefighters from the area via school bus. She said the community has been reporting the loss of the fire hall and other structures in and around Scotch Creek.

鈥淥ne firefighter watched his house burn down,鈥� said Butts.

Exhausted Electoral Area F director Jay Simpson said he hasn鈥檛 seen what鈥檚 happened in Scotch Creek but he had heard the school caught fire. Simpson said he was busy using his boat to evacuate people from Scotch Creek.

鈥淎ll I could hear were booms, which I assume were propane tanks,鈥� said Simpson. 鈥淭he fire went up and also razed the bench, the agriculture areas above Celista.

鈥淚 hear rumours, I really don鈥檛 know any facts鈥� we moved firefighters from Scotch Creek to Magna Bay by water because they couldn鈥檛 get there by road.鈥�

Simpson wasn鈥檛 optimistic about what Saturday morning will reveal. Sutherland said he and the emergency program is going to try and get some 鈥渟ituational awareness.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 going to be the focus 鈥� try to do some rapid damage assessments,鈥� said Sutherland. 鈥淎nd then we鈥檙e going to try to wrap our heads around this whole situation because it鈥檚 a lot and it鈥檚 been a really, really tough day.鈥�

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