Thousands in BC remain on evacuation alert due to wildfires

THE NEWEST:

More than 2,000 people are preparing for immediate evacuation in the southern half of British Columbia as persistent hot and dry conditions continue to pose challenges for firefighters on Saturday.

The wind-fueled wildfire in the Shetland Creek areas grew exponentially from Thursday to Friday, resulting in evacuation orders being issued for hundreds of properties and an evacuation alert being placed for thousands of people – including the entire village of Ashcroft.

In the southeastern interior, hundreds of people were asked to leave the area in the Central Kootenays due to fires in Aylwin Creek and Komonko Creek.

A heat wave has hit Western Canada, increasing the risk for firefighters. Possible thunderstorms are forecast that could lead to more fires.

“We’ve had temperatures above 35 degrees for 12 or 14 days,” fire informant Kim Wright said of southeastern BC.

“Despite the significant rainfall we had in many areas of the Southeast Fire Center in May and June, our fuels have become hotter and drier due to this significant heat wave.”

The Aylwin Creek wildfire, just west of Highway 6 in southeastern British Columbia, and the Komonko Creek wildfire just east of it have necessitated the closure of this portion of the highway. (BC Wildfire Service)

The fires at Aylwin Creek and Komonko Creek led to the closure of Highway 6 near the villages of New Denver and Silverton on Saturday.

An evacuation alert has been issued for the entire village of Silverton, which is home to around 200 people. This means that residents must be ready to leave the village at any time.

“I’ve spoken to some residents, the nervousness and fear is pretty high,” said Silverton Mayor Tanya Gordon. “My advice to most people here is to just stay calm. Go and talk to your neighbors and make sure they’re OK.”

“The special thing about this community is that we are a pretty close-knit community. Everyone helps each other.”

Gordon said she advises people to be mindful of their water usage as firefighters battle fires near her community.

The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) said nearly 1,000 provincial firefighters were on the scene, in addition to crews from Nova Scotia and Ontario, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Some people stay behind

Due to two fires in the Central Kootenays, an evacuation order has been issued for nearly 130 properties and an evacuation alert has been issued for about 200. The Aylwin Creek fire has an area of ​​about 1.21 square kilometers and the Komonko Creek fire has an area of ​​about 5.34 square kilometers.

Dan Seguin, chief of operations for the Central Kootenay Regional District, said some residents chose to ignore evacuation orders and stay behind.

“From our perspective, it is a safety risk for them and our helpers if the situation changes and we have to try to be on site,” Seguin said Saturday morning.

Wright said a significant amount of smoke prevented wildfire rescue vehicles from using their firefighting aircraft early Saturday afternoon, and the service would resort to air resources when possible.

She urged residents to stay away from airplanes when spending recreational time near the water and to stay away from forest trails where firefighters are working.

Mayor hopes that the fire will not reach the community

In the Venables Valley, authorities have confirmed that buildings have caught fire as a result of the severe forest fire at Shetland Creek. By Saturday afternoon, an area of ​​almost 148 square kilometers had been affected.

Morgan Blois, a fire information officer, told CBC News Saturday morning that the fire was being driven north by winds, almost perpendicular to Highway 1.

The Shetland Creek wildfire has put thousands of people on evacuation alert. (Tom Popyk/CBC)

Due to the fire, an evacuation order was imposed on around 120 properties and several reservations of the Cook’s Ferry Indian group.

More than 1,500 people in the village of Ashcroft were also told to be ready to leave the village at any time because of the fire.

Interior Parish Mayor Barbara Roden expressed hope that the fire would spread away from Ashcroft and the nearby community of Cache Creek.

“I moved here in 1997, and the first wildfire evacuation warning I received in Ashcroft was 20 years later, in 2017,” she said. “And there have been two more since then.”

“So there are more and more of them and they are getting bigger.”

Barbara Roden, the mayor of Ashcroft, B.C., said wildfires have become a bigger problem in recent years. (Tom Popyk/CBC)