A wildfire near the B.C. community of Christina Lake forced dozens of properties to be evacuated on Sunday.
The Spaulding Creek Wildfire also affected a portion of Highway 3 when downed power lines caused by the fire initially closed a portion of the highway. It reopened to single lane alternating traffic in the evening.
The affected properties were in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary. The unincorporated town of Christina Lake, population 1,329, is about 20 kilometres east of Grand Forks, B.C.
“This is a very fast, fast moving wildfire and very dynamic situation, so things can change quickly,” said Mark Stephens, manager of emergency programs for the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary.
Forty-two homes were evacuated around Brown Road, Kensington Road, and Caitlin Road, which was estimated to affect about 84 people. Another 208 residences were put on evacuation alert.
Within a few hours of the evacuation being ordered, residents of Caitlin and Kensington roads were told they could go back home. However, they were still under evacuation alert.
Officials first got reports of the wildfire, which affected trees and wildland brush, around 2:30 p.m. The local fire department attended the scene, as did BC Wildfire crews.
According to Wildfire BC, the fire was discovered on Sunday, and the cause is under investigation.
Around 4:30 p.m. the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary enacted a state of emergency and firefighters and RCMP officers began going door-to-door, telling people to leave, Stephens said.
This is often called a “tactical evacuation,” he added.
“We’re grateful for everyone being cognizant of that and listening to responders,” he added, noting that the evacuation had gone smoothly.