100 Mile House mayor says it was ‘hardest decision in my life’
‘It’s a pretty horrible feeling,’ says Campsall from 100 Mile House
The mayor of the District of 100 Mile House says the decision to issue a wildfire evacuation order for his entire community was the most difficult he’s ever made.
“It was the hardest decision in my life, not a lot of fun,” Mitch Campsall said in an interview Tuesday. “You know there’s a good chance this fire could take out our community. That’s tough, that’s the realization you come to. It’s a pretty horrible feeling.”
Campsall, a truck driver and owner of a bottled water company, is serving his ninth year as mayor. He issued the evacuation order for about 2,000 residents at around 8:45 p.m. Sunday after ongoing discussions with provincial fire and forestry officials as well as his own fire chief amid concerns that changing winds could push the Gustafsen fire into the community.
On Tuesday, the order was extended for the next seven days.
“Far be it from me to say I know when people should be evacuated or not,” Campsall said. “That’s what these people do. They’re professionals and they gave us good, sound advice.”
Residents have been directed to an evacuation reception centre in Prince George due to the number of wildfires swirling in the Cariboo region.
To the mayor’s knowledge, this is the first time 100 Mile House has received such an evacuation order.
Campsall said local RCMP, supplemented by police from around the province, are manning road closures around the community.
The mayor is one of the few residents who remains in 100 Mile House, staffing the district command centre in the council chambers.
“I’m only getting about an hour and a half hours’ sleep a night here the last six days,” he said.
Within about 45 minutes of the evacuation order being issued, members of the local search-andrescue team went door to door to notify residents, who were already on evacuation alert. Within another 90 minutes, “my community was evacuated, about 99.9 per cent,” Campsall said.
So far, no structures have been lost within the district and no one has been injured, although the Gustafsen fire continues to pose a threat, he said.
On Tuesday, the B.C. Wildfire Service pegged the Gustafsen fire at about 50 square kilometres and completely uncontained. Resources included 107 firefighters, 14 helicopters and 30 pieces of heavy equipment.
Ryan Jabs, spokesman for B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, said that in general local officials, including regional districts, are responsible for managing and overseeing the response, preparation and co-ordination of an emergency situation. The province supports a local evacuation by providing personnel and communications resources as available, he said. The province reimburses local governments for the costs to manage the evacuation.
Highway crews will often be on hand with tow trucks and fuel in case local residents need help when evacuating along provincial highways, Jabs said.
Where a provincial state of emergency is declared, the province has the authority to order evacuations, in addition to the local government, he added.
As of Tuesday morning, the Cariboo Regional District had also issued evacuation orders for the following areas: Chezacut Alexis Creek and West Fraser, Kleena Kleene, Alexis Creek to West Fraser Road, Moore Mountain area, Fox Mountain and Soda Creek, 150 Mile House, Lexington Subdivision, Wildwood, Miocene, 103 Mile area and Gustafson North.
The district has also issued evacuation alerts for 100 Mile fringe southwest Davis Lake Road area, Williams Lake fringe to Fraser River, Forest Grove, North Lakeside, Dragon Mountain, White-RossGlen roads and South Lakeside.