Interior Health (IH) is responding to the potential for fire-related impacts to health facilities and clients in the community of Williams Lake due to the River Valley wildfire.
Long-term care residents from Cariboo Place in Williams Lake have been relocated, said Interior Health late Monday, July 22.
"As a precautionary measure, IH is relocating 21 residents from Cariboo Place long-term care home to alternate locations away from the impacted area," noted the health authority in a news release.
Staff from Cariboo Place have been contacting families directly and providing updates on the location of their loved ones. For any families looking for further information on their loved ones, they may call 778-417-0275 or 780-399-6570.
IH said Cariboo Memorial Hospital is not impacted at this time - anyone requiring care should proceed to the hospital as needed. Regular hours for the hospital are 24 hours, seven days a week.
Interior Health is also working with all community clients to make plans for them to have access to the services they need should they need to evacuate.
People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.
"This is an evolving situation and we are working closely with municipalities, regional districts, and the BC Wildfire Service to ensure precautions are underway to protect patients, clients, and individuals in long-term care," noted the news release.
Those requiring support during this crisis are encouraged to call the BC Crisis Line at 310-6789, KUU-US Indigenous Crisis Services at 1-800-588-8717, or MNBC Métis Crisis Line at 1-833-638-4722.
Interior Health also continues to monitor wildfire activity across the region.
Everyone is reminded to make preparations for wildfires, and smoky skies as air quality deteriorates 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
We will provide updates as new information is available.
