B.C. firefighters prepare for wind to fuel flames
WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. Crews struggling to beat back wildfires in British Columbia braced Friday for the worst as officials predicted weather conditions would deteriorate heading into the weekend.
Kevin Skrepnek of the BC Wildfire Service said the Saturday forecast called for sustained winds between 20 and 40 kilometres an hour across the Cariboo region and the southern Interior, with gusts reaching 70 kmh in some areas affected by the fires.
“That level of wind certainly has the prospect to really whip up fire behaviour,” Skrepnek said. “If that forecast comes to fruition, it’s going to be a big challenge for us.
“We could be seeing some pretty extreme and aggressive conditions.”
About 170 wildfires were burning across the province’s central and southern Interior, including three around Williams Lake, where 11,000 people were on standby to leave their homes.
Since the fire season began in April, more than 616 blazes have consumed 1,140 square kilometres of land, forcing officials to order evacuations affecting 16,680 people.
Rob Turner, assistant deputy minister for Emergency Management B.C., said some 4,000 families had registered with Canadian Red Cross as of Friday afternoon. More than 10,000 people had registered at reception centres, about half of whom were being housed in group lodging.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the creation of a new ad hoc cabinet committee to co-ordinate the federal government’s response to the fires, including recovery and rebuilding efforts. The committee includes the ministers of justice, national defence, indigenous and northern affairs, and public safety and emergency preparedness.
Al Richmond, chairman of the Cariboo Regional District, said there was a noticeable difference in the air quality when he went to Prince George on Thursday night.
“It was refreshing for me to get into Prince George ... and breathe the fresh air instead of the smoke-filled air we are experiencing here in the Cariboo,” he said on Friday.
Richmond said he told a meeting of evacuees on Thursday night that efforts were underway to restore some normality in fireweary communities.