Residents urged to evacuate as wildfires continue to rage in northeast B.C.
Officials are urging residents to evacuate the areas surrounding two out-of-control wildfires in northeastern British Columbia after reports emerged that some have stayed behind or even ventured toward the blazes.
On Monday, Bowinn Ma, B.C.'s minister of emergency management, and Forests Minister Bruce Ralston addressed the current fire situation during an afternoon press event that included Cliff Chapman, the director of provincial operations for the B.C. Wildfire Service.
Three "fires of note" — those that are particularly visible or pose a danger to the public — are currently burning within the boundaries of the Prince George Fire Centre in northern B.C.
Two of those fires — the Boundary Lake fire and Red Creek fire — are burning out of control near Fort St. John and have nearly doubled in size in one day.
There were 57 active wildfires burning in B.C., as of Tuesday morning. For the latest updates, monitor the B.C. Wildfire Service website.
Ralston said the Boundary Lake blaze was an estimated 5,900 hectares (59 square kilometres) on Monday, compared to about 3,000 hectares (30 sq kilometres) the day before. The fire at Red Creek has hit 2,800 hectares (28 square kilometres).
"Wildfires can come on very, very fast …they can move very, very fast, so when evacuation orders are issued, they are not issued lightly," said Ralston.
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The fires are burning on either side of the city of Fort St. John.
Matt Troiano, Fort St. John's deputy fire chief and director for the city's Emergency Support Services, said about 100 evacuees have been helped at a reception centre in the city so far.
"We have some cooler weather, less wind, and we're hopeful that this is going to help slow down the progression of the wildfires and get people back into their homes sooner," he said.
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Actions of some residents 'impeding' response
In a news conference Sunday afternoon, Peace River Regional District board chair Leonard Hiebert reported people were venturing into areas under evacuation order near the two fires and pleaded for anyone under orders to leave immediately.
"This is impeding the response and putting their lives and the lives of firefighters at risk," he said. "We recognize that the evacuations are stressful and impact the whole community, and we have experienced emergency support services staff in place to provide assistance."
Multiple properties are under an evacuation order or alert due to the fires, located 1,300 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.
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The regional district says 27 homes are still under an evacuation order for the Boundary Lake wildfire and 239 homes under an alert. For the Red Creek wildfire, 61 properties remain under an evacuation order, and 247 properties are under an alert.
An evacuation alert was also issued Saturday for the entire community of Doig River First Nation in the Peace region — but the alert was rescinded on Monday. An evacuation order means residents must leave the area immediately, while an alert means residents should be ready to leave at a moment's notice.
On Monday afternoon, the Peace River North school district (SD 60) announced that due to the Boundary Lake evacuation order, Clearview Elementary and Junior Secondary School — located 17 kilometres west of the lake — will be closed for this entire week.
(BC Wildfire Service)
Sharon Nickel of the Prince George Fire Centre is asking people who are on alert to prepare emergency kits and grab-and-go bags.
The province said it is also encouraging people in the affected areas to put important documents, such as insurance papers and birth certificates, in the grab-to-go bag and to maintain connections with neighbours and their First Nation or local government for updates and advisories.
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More than 91 per cent of the 62 wildfires burning in B.C. are under control, but experts are concerned that out-of-control fires like those burning in the northeast corner of the province could become more widespread.
Chapman said conditions in the northeast were ripe for wildfire as the region has had very little precipitation. He is concerned this could soon be the case for most of the province with warm, dry weather in the forecast.
"We are going to see that trend throughout the province," said Chapman. "It is something my team is monitoring closely."
And 700 kilometres to the south, the community of McBride has been taken off evacuation order as the nearby Teare Creek wildfire is being held at 1,100 hectares (11 square kilometres).
Fire conditions in the northeast have been exacerbated by drought in the area, according to B.C.'s wildfire service. East of the border, the province of Alberta has declared a state of emergency due to its current wildfire situation.
On Monday afternoon, B.C.'s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy said wildfire smoke would likely impact the Fort Nelson and North Peace regions within the next 24 to 48 hours.
In light of the poor air quality as a result of the fires, the Doig River First Nation said it has taken proactive measures to ensure its members' safety, including relocating members with respiratory and mobility issues to a clean-air hotel in Fort St. John.
"Doig River is not currently facing imminent danger, but as we have witnessed this week, the nature of wildfires is precarious, and circumstances can change immediately," said Coun. Starr Acko of the First Nation in a written statement Monday afternoon.
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Thumbnail courtesy of Facebook/North Peace Search and Rescue via CBC.
This article, written by Bridgette Watson, was originally published for CBC News. Contains files from The Canadian Press, Akshay Kulkarni and Daybreak North.
