An elementary school art teacher and her students who fled Fort Nelson, B.C., due to wildfire are working on a giant mural to thank the community of Fort St. John for their support.
One week after Fort Nelson residents were ordered to evacuate due to the fast-growing Parker Lake wildfire, they remain displaced with no sign of returning home — but many say an outpouring of support from local communities has helped them through the tough time.
Francine Freeman, an art teacher at the Chalo School on the Fort Nelson First Nation, says the mural is not only to thank the community, but is a way to keep her students busy during a challenging time.
“Sharing art with the community is super important,” Freeman said on CBC’s Radio West Thursday. “It’s important to get people involved with things.”
The mural is of Muncho Lake, which is located just north of Fort Nelson, and is being painted on a shipping container near the emergency support centre outside the North Peace Arena.
The design also included the names of several Fort St. John businesses that have offered services and support to evacuees.
Freeman said she hopes the mural will stay behind as a reminder to the locals of how they helped out in such a tough time.
“It’s amazing to see the community come together for such an incredible experience,” said Freeman.
“They can come visit later on and remember their time as not just being taken out of their homes … but doing something that is going to beautify their space for years to come.”
Freeman said anyone is welcome to come by and help paint on Friday.
Several Fort St. John businesses have offered free services and items over the past week, from coffee to children’s toys to workout classes.
Fort Nelson Mayor Rob Fraser thanked the community in a Wednesday town meeting.
“It’s not easy when you drop 3,500 people into a small community,” he said.
“They’re welcoming our residents, they’re trying to make you comfortable … we know we’d do the same thing if they came our way.”
Fraser said the fires burning near Fort Nelson leave the short-term future “up in the air” as there is no solid timeline for when residents can return.
A Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire evacuee speaks with CBC News about the challenge of keeping her young children entertained in Fort St. John, while waiting for updates from officials.
Conditions favourable but precarious, says BCWS
Fraser told evacuees that it was by “the grace of God” that the Parker Lake wildfire, fanned by winds of 70 kilometres per hour, didn’t sweep through the community of about 4,700 residents last Friday.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says the blaze about two kilometres west of the town now spans 127 square kilometres, up from 84 square kilometres earlier this week, but it has spread away from the town along its southern flank.
An update from the service on Thursday says winds over the fire were expected to shift, pushing smoke back into the area and challenging aerial firefighting efforts.
But it says a low-pressure system with cooler temperatures and higher humidity led to decreased fire activity on Wednesday, allowing crews to work closely along the fire’s edge and make progress on “direct attack objectives.”
An update posted to the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality website Thursday says the weather has been favourable for crews working to fight the blaze and protect the town. But it says “extreme drought conditions” and rapidly changing variables mean the situation is still “precarious.”