Along with the 2024 Slocan Complex wildfire, the 2021 Trozzo/Winlaw/Lemon Creek wildfire was also one of the most significant recent fire events in the Slocan Valley, shaping both the landscape and the community’s understanding of watershed vulnerability. Sparked by lightning on July 9, 2021, the fire began in the upper Trozzo Creek drainage and rapidly expanded north and south into the Lemon Creek, Winlaw Creek, and Grohman Creek drainages. By the time it was declared under control on August 22, it had burned 5,992 hectares across these interconnected watersheds.

As the fire grew, it triggered major community impacts. On July 21, the Regional District of Central Kootenay issued an Evacuation Order for 86 properties stretching from below Ringrose Creek to Christian Creek, displacing residents and prompting coordinated response efforts across the valley.  Fire crews worked under challenging conditions—dense smoke, steep terrain, and shifting winds to build containment lines, conduct burnouts, and hold the fire from progressing down the Lemon Creek drainage. By late July, the fire had reached over 2,600 hectares, with heavy equipment and hose-lays reinforcing control lines along Elliot FSR and the northern ridge of Trozzo Creek.

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