A new wildfire in the Kootenay region has Shambhala Music Festival organizers preparing for the possibility of an evacuation.

The McCormick Creek fire broke out Tuesday near Trail, and is burning at an estimated 75 hectares in size, according to the BC Wildfire Service. It91裸聊视频檚 also about 12 kilometres away from the music festival grounds.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay issued an alert for a few dozen residents Wednesday night.

But evacuating the 15,000 attendees at the Shambhala Music Festival in a wildfire emergency would be much easier than evacuating a regular town, says its public safety director.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a more well-defined space than a city that is spread out in individual homes where you wouldn91裸聊视频檛 know if they are home or not,91裸聊视频� said Chris Armstrong, who spoke to the Nelson Star ahead of annual event that began Friday.

Shambhala organizers issued a memo Wednesday asking attendees to plan ahead for the possibility of an evacuation becoming a realty.

The RDCK also urged festival goers to maintain a designated driver and means of quick evacuation from the area.

Meanwhile, Armstrong said the festival has 2,500 staff, all of whom are trained in emergency protocols and who are in constant communication with each other.

91裸聊视频淛ust like in any other city or large organization, you have emergency response plans for all the things you can think of that could possibly happen,91裸聊视频� Armstrong said. 91裸聊视频淔or a fire evacuation or any evacuation, we have response plans for that.91裸聊视频�

Armstrong said he has 21 years of experience in search and rescue and emergency management.

As wildfires burn across the province due to tinder-dry weather, security is also keeping an eye on people 91裸聊视频� who may be intoxicated or impaired 91裸聊视频� and their use of candles and cigarette butts.

91裸聊视频淲e have 25 trained fire fighters out here, so there is not much that can happen that we can91裸聊视频檛 put it out on our own before any call gets made. We have a bigger fire system than most small communities, we have our own fire department, trucks, more trained fire personnel than most towns, and we have a 500-acre piece of property and 150 of it is open field.91裸聊视频�

Armstrong admitted there are some difficulties with the single-road access, but he pointed out that the festival site is less than a half kilometre from the highway, so people would walk out either on the road or in the mostly ankle-deep river. It would take 24 hours to evacuate everyone with their vehicles, he said.

is ~ 12 km away from newest concerning in region. Attendees being encouraged to keep a DD. Update: 10AM

91裸聊视频� Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani)

Once people had walked to the highway, there would be a question of where they would go from there, he said.

91裸聊视频淏ut that is absolutely the remotest possibility, and there would be enough ramp up and warning for that, and arrangements would be made with Emergency Management B.C., they would be there and have a check-in system for them as displaced travellers.91裸聊视频�

Armstrong said the Southeast Fire Centre and regional emergency management staff would give warnings and alerts, and once an alert was given, the festival would start preparing. Most of the evacuation protocols, he said, are not to actually evacuate, but to prepare for it.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 no different from any other community,91裸聊视频� Armstrong said. 91裸聊视频淭he difference is that we have 2,500 staff to pull it off.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚f another community were to get evacuated, they would be better off to come here,91裸聊视频� he said.