9,000 evacuated, no end in sight as wildfires rage
Raging wildfires across the B.C. Interior showed no sign of abating Sunday, forcing highway closures and chasing more residents out of their homes.
Close to 2,000 people who live in the District of 100 Mile House fled their homes late Sunday after mayor Mitch Campsall issued an evacuation order due to the looming threat of a rapidly-moving wildfire.
Another 195 homes north of Princeton were also ordered to leave in a “controlled evacuation” starting at 2 a.m. Monday when temperatures are cooler to allow safe passage from a 1,500-hectare blaze nearby.
With hot, dry weather, strong winds and the risk of dry lightning in the forecast, officials say the situation could get worse.
“We’re at the mercy of the weather,” said Kevin Skrepnek, B.C. Wildfire Service’s chief fire information officer, adding he anticipates more evacuation orders and alerts over the coming days.
“We know this situation is going to continue to grow, but we have all the resources available to us to make sure that we do our best to protect life and buildings.”
Ground and aircrews were fighting 220 wildfires across the province on Sunday, many of them uncontained.
Emergency services estimate as many as 9,000 people have been driven out of their homes.
One of the largest fires, at 4,400 hectares, is burning near Ashcroft, prompting a slew of evacuation orders Friday and Saturday.
In the hard-hit Cariboo, about 5,000 households have been evacuated in communities including 100 Mile House, 105 Mile, 108 Mile, 150 Mile House and the Alexis Creek area. The Alexis Creek Health Centre was also shut down indefinitely due to the mandatory order.
Sixteen evacuation orders have been issued by the Cariboo Regional District since Friday, including five on Sunday, stretching the resources of the district’s emergency operations centre thin.
The Sunday evacuations were due to the 3,200-hectare Gustafsen wildfire, the 2,500-hectare 150 Mile House wildfire, and the Wildwood fire, which has consumed 2,000 hectares near the Williams Lake airport. None of these wildfires are contained.
“The fire situation continues to be very difficult with fires that are very challenging to actually attack because of the intensity and nature of the fire activity,” said Skrepnek.
There have been several structures destroyed in the blazes, but authorities say they do not have an accurate estimate of the extent of the damage due to smoky conditions and because crews are currently focused on protecting people and key infrastructure, such as roads, hydro lines and people’s homes.
Outgoing Premier Christy Clark was in Kamloops Sunday to announce the government’s commitment to provide $100 million to help communities and residents affected by the wildfires.
Evacuees registered with the Red Cross can immediately access $600 via electronic transfer.
“We are just, in many ways, at the beginning of the worst part of the fire season and we watch the weather, we watch the wind, and we pray for rain,” said Clark.
“But our prayers aren’t always answered in these things and so we need to be there to support people in the meantime because there are hundreds and hundreds of people who are scared to death right now.”
Premier-designate John Horgan said he would honour the $100 million Clark had committed to, adding that the province would likely provide even more support as the cost of the disaster grows.
“Whatever is needed to make sure that people are whole after this, we’re going to make sure that happens,” he said, after meeting with officials in Kamloops.
Horgan said he spoke with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Sunday afternoon, who assured him the federal government stood ready to help.
The province has been marshalling all the personnel it can to battle the flames, protect property and try to keep people safe.
More than 1,000 firefighters are on scene, supported by heavy equipment and helicopters.
Another 600 personnel are backing them up, plus some 200 contractors, and an additional 260 firefighters are being recruited from other parts of Canada.
Several highways were closed due to the fire.
Many of the roads around Williams Lake have been cut off or restricted, including Highway 97, which is closed from Cache Creek to Clinton, and about 15 kilometres south of Quesnel. Highway 1 around Ashcroft and Cache Creek was also shut down Sunday, as was Highway 5A near Princeton.
Despite the efforts of firefighters, Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta said a fire burning between Ashcroft and Cache Creek had destroyed dozens of buildings, including at least five houses, 30 trailer park homes and two hangars at a regional airport.
There have been 552 fires to date in 2017, about half of which broke out over the past few days. Skrepnek said the province had spent $46 million fighting wildfires this year, through the end of Friday. — With files from The Canadian Press