Wind predicted in B.C. fire fight

Crews started controlled fires west of Williams Lake, B.C., on Thursday in an all-out effort to protect the city of about 11,000 people.

Back-burning is a way of basically fighting fire with fire, said Kevin Skrepnek, chief information officer with the BC Wildfire Service.

“Controlled fires, kind of on the perimeter to starve out any fuel that the fire might get into over the next few days, so that was certainly happening west of Williams Lake,” he explained.

He said there was concern that the fire near Williams Lake, and many others burning in the Cariboo region, could grow as winds were expected to pick up again for most of southern B.C.

Wind has been a huge factor in fanning the flames, he said.

“The ferocity they have burned with, the aggressive growth we have seen out there, a lot of that has been wind-driven, so that is definitely a cause for concern, given how many active fires we’ve got out there now.”

Skrepnek said another 50 firefighters from other parts of Canada were expected to arrive Thursday to help hold back dozens of fires, many of them threatening homes or property.

New mapping of the fires showed about 1,110-square kilometres of grass, bush and forest has burned since the fire season started in April, he said.

Residents of Williams Lake have been on alert since Monday to leave at a moments notice as the fire approaches the city.

Mayor Walt Cobb said he was feeling more optimistic that the city can be protected.

“The wind has gone down. Some smoke has cleared. I can actually see clouds and sun and blue sky,” he said.