THE LATEST:
- An evacuation order is in place for part of the district of Wells, south of Prince George. About 200 people are affected by a related evacuation alert.
- B.C. Parks has closed the Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Park east of Prince George due to wildfire risk.
- The province is seeking help from other regions to deal with dozens of new fires that have sparked in recent days.
- An evacuation alert remains in place for about 200 properties south of Dawson Creek and an order is still in place for a remote First Nation north of Fort Nelson.
Hundreds of people in B.C.’s Interior and north have been told to be ready to leave their homes at a moment’s notice as dozens of new wildfires have sparked across the province.
Residents of Wells, in the Cariboo region, as well as rural residents south of Dawson Creek, in the province’s northeast, have been placed under evacuation alert due to the potential risk of wildfire to homes and lives. An alert means residents must be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
Fires have also closed an ancient rainforest park in the B.C. Interior.
In response, the province is seeking outside help to aid crews in tackling the 150 fires currently burning across the province.
Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma said B.C. is seeking out-of-province help from six unit crews representing 180 specialized wildfire fighters, plus management teams to help deal with what she calls the “potential for a drastically accelerated wildfire situation.”
“We do want to be prepared, and so by being proactive in our request for additional resources, we can ensure that the lag that it often takes for additional resources to come in from out of province doesn’t impact our ability to protect communities and protect British Columbians,” she said at a news conference Thursday.
Ma said about 500 of the province’s full complement of 2,000 firefighters were currently deployed, but the province was seeking outside help early as the situation worsened due to a heat wave and ongoing dry conditions.
The government of Nova Scotia has already said it is sending 20 firefighters to the Prince George region to support wildfire fighting in the region, with an expected deployment on Friday.
Hundreds in Wells, B.C. under evacuation alert
The majority of new fires are in the Prince George and Cariboo fire districts, covering central and northeastern B.C. where the B.C. Wildfire Service’s map shows a cluster of about two dozen new fires sparked in the Cariboo region east of Quesnel.
In the District of Wells, officials say the Cornish Mountain wildfire is a threat to life and safety, and residents affected by the order must leave immediately.
Wells Mayor Ed Coleman said the order covers a small mine site of about 10 employees, as well as backcountry recreation lakes, according to the mayor.
It also includes the Eight-Mile Lake and Nine-Mile Lake areas, Cornish Lake and Mine Sites.
The evacuation alert affects about 350 properties, including homes, businesses and Crown lots, he said.
About 218 residents live in the area, and there are about 250 visitors.
The alert also covers Barkerville Historic Town, a gold rush-era community that acts as a major tourist draw to the region.
On social media channels, the town says it is still open. adding that it is “business as usual” for “the time being.”
Officials said in a news conference Thursday morning that crews, helicopters and air tankers have been fighting the fire since last night.
The fire is still out of control but is being held and isn’t currently moving toward the community, said mayor Coleman.
Rainforest wildfire closes inland park
Also east of Prince George, wildfires have closed the Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Park, a provincial park housing ancient cedar rainforest.
The B.C. Wildfire map shows two wildfires burning within park boundaries, with a third just outside its southern border.
All three are less than one square kilometre.
B.C. Parks says the decision to close the area was made in the interest of public safety.
Wildfires, smoke affecting northeast
Further north, more than 300 properties have been placed under an evacuation alert near Dawson Creek, B.C., after the Tupper Creek wildfire was discovered Tuesday.
Also in northeastern B.C., the Fort Nelson First Nation issued an evacuation order Tuesday for its Kahntah reserve, telling residents they had to leave by boat due to the threat of an out-of-control blaze discovered the day before.
Smoke in the region has been clogging up skies and affecting health, said MLA Dan Davies.
“My consistency assistant… her eyes are red. She couldn’t see the parking lot across from the office,” he said. “It is very, very bad. It’s horrendous.”
Seasonal conditions to return
Parts of B.C. also continue to experience a prolonged heat wave, with heat warnings still in effect in the southern Interior. The weather is expected to cool in that region after Thursday.
Environment Canada said 17 daily heat records were set or tied in the province Wednesday. At 40.5 C, the village of Warfield in the West Kootenay region was the hottest place in Canada on Wednesday.
In a situation update posted Thursday, the B.C. Wildfire Service said temperatures are beginning to return to normal in the north, with rain and strong winds forecast for the far north, including Fort Nelson.
Because of the prolonged heat, the service says, the province is more susceptible to new wildfires starting.
In response, a B.C.-wide campfire ban is going into place at noon Friday to try to reduce wildfire risk. The sole exception to the ban is in the Haida Gwaii Forest District.
