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B.C.’s emergency management minister has confirmed reports of structural damage caused by an out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort Nelson, B.C., but says there have been no new reports of damage in recent days.
A community-wide evacuation of more than 4,700 people is entering its second week after the fast-growing Parker Lake wildfire, sparked by a downed tree hitting a power line, grew rapidly on the evening of May 10.
Speaking at a news conference Friday, Bowinn Ma confirmed early reports that some buildings had been damaged in the immediate aftermath of the fire starting, but said she has not heard about any additional losses since then.
“We are not aware of any new structure losses since May 10, May 11,” she said.
Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma addressed concerns that buildings have been lost to the Parker Lake wildfire near Fort Nelson, B.C.
In separate interviews, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Mayor Rob Fraser has been warning people against circulating images of burned buildings, saying officials are working to confirm the extent of damage and reach out to property owners directly.
According to the Canadian Press, Facebook videos posted this week show large structures reduced to grey ash and twisted metal, scorched vehicles, and tall trees blackened by the side of the road.
CBC News has not reviewed the footage, but evacuees have said they have seen similar images.
Fraser has spoken out against the images being shared before property owners could be notified.
“Could you imagine, for the first time, seeing that structures on your property have been damaged because you saw it on social media? It’s just, it’s tragic,” he told CBC News on Thursday.
He said all of the damaged buildings have been outside of town along the Alaska Highway near where the fire started.
Extra supports headed to region
Rain and cooler temperatures have helped firefighters battle the flames in recent days, but officials say it’s still too soon to guess when residents will be allowed to return.
“At this point in time, it wouldn’t be right to try and work out when we’ll be able to recommend rescinding the order on Fort Nelson,” said Cliff Chapman of the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) at a Friday afternoon news conference.
“We are continuing to operate in and around the community of Fort Nelson and when it is safe, we will make that recommendation.”
In the meantime, extra resources are being sent to help secure Fort Nelson, which is in the province’s far northeast, about 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver and about 800 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
On Thursday, RCMP confirmed they have sent additional officers to patrol the community and outlying areas, including the Fort Nelson First Nation and Prophet River First Nations, to ensure homes and businesses are secure.
There have been reports of looters taking advantage of the emptied town. RCMP told CBC News on Monday that they have made arrests in connection to property crimes, but have yet to provide more details.
At a community meeting held Wednesday, Fraser, who has remained in Fort Nelson, said he has seen a strong police presence and not witnessed any damage to businesses, adding he is confident that if there have been crimes, “the usual suspects will be dealt with.”
In addition to extra police, B.C. Hydro said Thursday it is sending backup generators to Fort Nelson to ensure a steady power supply.
The utility said it had cut power to roughly 100 customers northwest of the community at the request of the BCWS, with plans to restore it as soon as possible.
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It also said that while power remains on for the rest of Fort Nelson, a transmission line has been damaged by wildfires, and the gas processing plant that powers its local generating facility has been shut down as a precaution.
With all that in play, the service said it is sending emergency mobile generating units to Fort Nelson to ensure a lack of power does not become an issue for crews or other essential services still in the region.
The BCWS is in the process of setting up a fire camp at the Fort Nelson airport, as crews dig in for the long haul to get the fires under control.
Ma also announced Friday that a second incident management team has been sent to the Prince George Fire Centre, which includes Fort Nelson, to ensure resources are properly used in rural parts of the province.
As of Friday afternoon, 125 fires were recorded burning across the B.C., most of which are in the northeastern part of the province.
‘Excellent’ conditions for fire crews
In a video update posted late Thursday, the BCWS shared a positive message after a day of rain and even some snow in the Fort Nelson region.
BCWS fire behaviour specialist Evan Peck said a low-pressure system had brought much-needed rain over the last two days along with cooler temperatures and lower humidity, making for “excellent” conditions for fire suppression efforts.
In a video released by the service, Peck says there has been minimal growth of the Parker Lake fire, which was mapped at 123 square kilometres in size as of late Thursday.
Peck says the weather has also dampened the much larger Patry Creek fire, a holdover blaze from last year that’s burning as close as 25 kilometres north of Fort Nelson.
Peck says conditions should remain favourable over the next several days.
However, he said it’s not enough to break the long-term drought in northeastern B.C., which has been experiencing low precipitation and parched land since last year.
In an interview with CBC’s Daybreak North Friday morning, Ma said having such a massive evacuation effort so early in the year was “quite concerning.”
She underlined the “prolonged, provincewide, very significant drought” that has officials gearing up for what could be another long, difficult summer and fall.
“We’re on high alert,” Ma said.
Daybreak North7:25Emergency Management minister on wildfire evacuee situation
Ma says help available, but B.C. drought means a challenging season ahead.
B.C. open for travel
But, Ma said, that doesn’t mean she wants people to avoid travelling to and within the province over the May long weekend.
“British Columbia is a huge province,” she said in Friday’s news conference. “We have a lot to offer and we want to share it.”
The only caveat, she said, was that travellers should avoid the Fort Nelson region and take proper precautions by signing up for emergency alerts and looking up campfire bans before heading into the backcountry.
“Know before you go,” she said.