‘It’s going to be a big challenge for us’
Firefighters in B.C. prepare for windy weekend that may make situation worse
WILLIAMS LAKE Crews struggling to beat back wildfires braced Friday for the worst as officials predicted weather conditions would deteriorate.
Kevin Skrepnek of the B.C. Wildfire Service said today’s forecast calls for sustained winds between 20 and 40 kilometres per hour across the Cariboo region and the southern Interior, with gusts reaching 70 km/h 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, 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 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 coordinate 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.
“It was refreshing for me to get into Prince George ... and breathe the fresh air instead of the smokefilled air we are experiencing here in the Cariboo,” he said Friday.
Richmond said he told a meeting of evacuees Thursday that efforts were underway to restore some normality in fire-weary communities.
Regional district offices in Quesnel were to open Friday to provide permits allowing workers to travel on closed roads to reach the open pit copper-molybdenum mine operated by Taseko Mines Ltd.
The B.C. government has also been asked to allow some movement on closed sections of Highway 97 so people who left their homes in Williams Lake and went to Prince George could drive south to Vancouver.
The province said evacuees must remain patient and wait for official notice before they can return home. It has also warned that violating orders can divert firefighters from fires to help with avoidable rescues. The Canadian Press