The City of Kamloops continues to support individuals displaced by wildfire activity across British Columbia through an Emergency Support Services (ESS) Reception Centre, which now includes group lodging at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre.
While initially established to assist evacuees from the Boston Bar area, the City is supporting individuals displaced from multiple communities affected by wildfire activity across the province. Evacuees continue to arrive in Kamloops, with additional arrivals expected in the coming days.
Group lodging has been established at McArthur Island to provide temporary accommodation should commercial lodging capacity become constrained. The facility currently includes 50 beds and can be expanded to accommodate up to 100 guests if required. Evacuees staying at the site have access to portable air conditioning, washroom and shower trailers, and on-site security. Samaritan's Purse has been contracted by the Province of British Columbia to establish and operate the group lodging facility.
The ESS Reception Centre is available to assist eligible evacuees with accessing Emergency Support Services and completing applications for available supports. Operating hours for the Reception Centre are currently scheduled until midnight today and until 9:30 pm tomorrow, with hours subject to change based on operational needs.
Evacuees are encouraged to monitor Emergency Info BC for the most current information regarding evacuation orders, alerts, and wildfire-related updates affecting their communities.
The City would like to thank residents for their generosity and willingness to support those affected by the wildfire situation. However, the Emergency Support Services Reception Centre at McArthur Island cannot accept donations of any kind or accommodate walk-in volunteers.
The primary function of the Reception Centre is to register evacuees and process applications for Emergency Support Services assistance. This provincially mandated process requires specialized training that cannot be provided during an active emergency response. Additionally, the team does not have the capacity to collect, store, or distribute donated goods.
Residents who wish to help are encouraged to connect directly with local community groups, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, and cultural groups that may be coordinating support efforts.
All British Columbia residents are encouraged to prepare for future emergencies by creating a profile at ESS.gov.bc.ca and verifying their identity through the BC Services Card app. Residents can learn more about identity verification by visiting ID.gov.bc.ca. Completing these steps before an emergency can help streamline access to supports when they are needed most.
The City of Kamloops will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with provincial partners to support evacuees as needed.
