New evacuation orders throughout B.C. as heat wave fans wildfires

Several lightning-triggered wildfires have forced authorities in B.C. to issue evacuation orders as the province’s southern and eastern regions swelter in a heat wave.

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the Island Pond fire about 17 kilometres south of Canal Flats, B.C., in the East Kootenay in the province’s southeast corner, was discovered Saturday. It grew to 1.2 square kilometres overnight.

The Regional District of East Kootenay has declared a state of local emergency and issued an evacuation order for two addresses as a result, and has also warned another 65 properties to be prepared to leave on short notice.

Meanwhile, the Cariboo Regional District in central B.C. has ordered residents on 29 parcels of land in the Kuyakuz Lake area to evacuate immediately, with five out-of-control wildfires burning nearby — four of which were confirmed to be lightning-caused.

An accompanying evacuation alert was also issued for 33 parcels of land in the Tatelkuz Lake area, with the area close to the Kluskus First Nation reserve.

The District of Wells has issued an evacuation alert impacting around 230 people in the Cariboo region, with the historic Barkerville town and living history museum also being placed on evacuation alert by the Cariboo Regional District on Saturday due to the Antler Creek wildfire.

In the north, a large area just east of McBride, B.C., has been placed on evacuation alert, which covers an area just north of Highway 16.

The Bulkley-Nechako Regional District has also issued an evacuation alert that covers the area in the vicinity of Marie and Nanna lakes in north-central B.C. — just south of Fort St. James — that affects an area of Highway 27.

An evacuation order means residents should leave immediately, whereas an evacuation alert means residents should prepare to evacuate their homes with little to no notice. 

Fires of note in Kootenays, near Ashcroft

The new evacuation orders come as the Shetland Creek fire about eight kilometres north of Spences Bridge, B.C., is holding at about 149 square kilometres in size as of Sunday afternoon.

The B.C. Wildfire Service dashboard says about 87 per cent of the more than 300 blazes burning in the province have been caused by lightning.

All evacuation orders and alerts linked to the Shetland Creek blaze in B.C.’s Thompson-Nicola region remain in place for communities such as Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Spences Bridge and the Ashcroft First Nation.

The alerts for the people in B.C.’s Venables Valley, just west of Kamloops, cover more than 2,000 people, and the orders cover hundreds of properties.

Sarah Hall, a BCWS fire information officer, says firefighters were looking to see if thunderstorms that are forecast for the southern Interior would affect their operations, and they were ready to pivot if new fires start.

“At this time, Highway 1 is still open, but this is a dynamic situation that can change rapidly,” she told CBC News on Sunday afternoon. “So, we’re just encouraging members of the public to check DriveBC.”

In the Central Kootenay, the community of Silverton, B.C., is on alert while 107 properties south of the village are under an evacuation order due to the nearby Aylwin Creek wildfire.

Aylwin Creek and nearby Komonko Creek blazes remain at a combined size of 6.5 square kilometres, and Highway 6 south of Silverton remains closed due to wildfires burning nearby.

Environment Canada says the latest heat wave broke or matched the daily high-temperature records in 14 B.C. communities on Saturday, with Lytton reaching a high of 41.2 C — breaking a record of 40.6 C set in 1946.

Temperature records also fell in the B.C. communities of Cranbrook, Merritt, Princeton, Trail and Vernon, with all five communities reaching at least 36 C.

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