Raging B.C. fire doubles in size
Residents warned Parker Lake blaze will impact utilities
FORT NELSON, B.C. The northeastern British Columbia municipality where thousands have evacuated due to a fast-growing wildfire nearby urged all remaining residents to leave immediately Saturday despite improving weather conditions.
In a joint statement, the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and Fort Nelson First Nation said that people staying behind despite the evacuation orders should be aware that “emergency medical services are not available, nor are groceries or other amenities.”
“Utilities may become impacted to support fire response efforts,” the statement said. “Communication networks are precarious, which could impact the ability to reach residents to advise of changing conditions.”
The statement came as the Parker Lake blaze reached almost 17 square kilometres in size on Saturday, more than doubling the eight square kilometres reported just hours earlier, with BC Wildfire Service maps showing the fire burning just a few kilometres west of Fort Nelson’s city limits.
Northern Health said in a release that Fort Nelson General Hospital has been safely evacuated and is closed until further notice.
The health authority said the hospital’s patients have been relocated to facilities in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek.
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Mayor Rob Fraser said most of the 3,500 residents in and around Fort Nelson, B.C., have been evacuated since the Parker Lake fire broke out on Friday, but police are knocking on doors to ensure everyone got out.
“We got hardly any pushback,” Fraser said regarding Fort Nelson residents’ reaction to the order to evacuate. “I’m still waiting for word from the RCMP with respect to how many people might be left in the community, but their initial discussions with me said it was very few.”
Evacuations for the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and Fort Nelson First Nations were issued late Friday after the fire grew from an initial reported size of half a square kilometre at 5:25 p.m. to four square kilometres by 6:30 p.m., then continued to grow exponentially since.
On social media, Fort Nelson residents’ videos and photos show thick plumes of smoke rising high into the sky with houses in the foreground, with some pictures revealing a haze covering the region.
Fraser said the Parker Lake fire is one of three major wildfires near Fort Nelson, and what surprised residents was the “very dark” smoke rising from a close distance to the town, prompting the evacuation order.
The wildfire has also knocked out 911 service and disrupted telecommunications in Yukon and Northern B.C., with officials in the territory asking Whitehorse residents needing help to go directly to the local RCMP detachment, fire halls or ambulances stationed throughout the city.
Fraser said the fire was started by a tree blown down by strong winds falling onto a power line.
The update from the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Saturday said the fire situation “remains volatile and fast-moving.”