1000 music festival goers evacuated under threat of Coalmont wildfire

Approximately 1,000 people were evacuated from an outdoor music festival near Coalmont overnight Sunday, August 6 after wildfire threatened the area.

The fire, which started near Rice Road, was sparked by an ATV that caught fire in the backcountry, according to police.

The blaze was initially reported at about 7:30 p.m., and was estimated at one hectare. Overnight it tripled in size and as of Monday morning was being actioned by 29 BC Wildfire personnel, along with two helicopters and multiple air tankers, according to media spokesperson Taylor Wallace.

An Emergency Support Services (ESS) centre has been established at Princeton Baptist Church.

The order to evacuate the music festival, Under the Stars, came from the Tulameen and District Fire Department and was “tactical,” said Princeton RCMP Cpl. Kyle Richmond, and involved police, Ground Search and Rescue and firefighters.

“We got everybody out of there. There is only one way in and one way out…We went up to the property and told everyone they had to leave. Obviously we checked there were (safe) drivers,” he said.

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