A fast-growing fire in the United States has forced evacuation orders north of the border, near Grand Forks, B.C.
More than 150 properties have been ordered evacuated, with the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, saying the fire “poses a threat to human life.”
“Evacuate immediately if you are in the following area: west of Highway 41 and south of Highway 3,” the order says. The alert also applies to “any properties west of Highway 3 from Sleepy Hollow Rd to Phoenix Rd.”
Nearly 570 properties are also on evacuation alert, which means residents would have to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.
Mark Stephens with the regional district’s emergency operations centre described it as a “very dynamic situation” when reached for an interview shortly after 5 p.m. PT Wednesday.
He said officials in B.C. were notified of the fast-growing fire by their counterparts in Washington state, where it originated.
“[The fire] was heavily windblown given the cold front that was passing through,” Stephens said, adding it had not yet crossed the border into Canada, but small spot fires from embers blowing north were being attended by B.C. crews.
At last count, he said, the fire was about one square kilometre in size but “that number is evolving quickly.”
He described the affected area as rural and farmland, and did not say how many residents are estimated to be impacted.
Smoke from the fire is highly visible from Grand Forks, about 350 kilometres directly east of Vancouver, with residents posting pictures of plumes of smoke to social media.
Resident Sahil Bagga described looking up and seeing “a huge fire in the sky.”
“Everybody’s worried,” he said.
As of this time, no structures have been lost due to Goosmus fire. The wind has calmed down and some rain has fallen. <br><br>Evacuees are asked to go the Red Cross reception centre at the Grand Forks Arena which will be open after 7 pm tonight. <br><br>Hwy 3 will be closed. <a href=”https://t.co/DQFLFTSucG”>pic.twitter.com/DQFLFTSucG</a>
—@RDKB_Emergency
News of the late-season wildfire came the same day a new federal report warned that B.C. should be prepared for year-round wildfire seasons due to warming conditions leading to extended drought and dry timber.
Researchers predict wildfires will burn 53,000 square kilometres of land nationally this year. That’s the second-highest area burned since 2000, outstripped only by the area of land burned in 2023, they said in a report.
Evacuees have been told to head east along Highway 3 to the Jack Goddard Memorial Arena, 2020 Central Avenue, in Grand Forks, B.C.