More than 170 wildfires raged in BC, staff fought all night

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On Saturday, the BC Wildfire Bureau faced another challenging day as firefighters continued to fight more than 170 fires across the province.

According to the agency’s fire information officer, there are currently 177 active wildfires in BC, 10 of which are being closely watched because they may pose a threat to public safety. Most of these wildfires occurred in the Kamloops area.

In addition, fires broke out near several small communities in Lillooet, 100 Mile House, Prince George and Caribou.

On Friday night, a wildfire on the outskirts of Kamloops near Lake Durand forced the evacuation of 71 properties. Earlier in the day, Kamloops announced that it would restart the emergency operations center in response to multiple fires in the area.

Officials are also paying close attention to the Sparks Lake wildfire, 15 kilometers north of Kamloops Lake. It is now estimated to have an area of ??310 square kilometers, forcing more than 400 households to evacuate.

There were 93 firefighters, 15 helicopters, and 26 heavy equipment on site. According to the BC Wildfire Bureau, staff worked overnight to establish a line of control around the fire.

“It is still classified as out of control,” said Sarah Hall, a spokesperson for the British Columbia Wildfire Service. “From Kamloops, the smoke is very obvious and it is hovering in the valley.”

Evacuation alert

In central British Columbia, the Cariboo District also issued an evacuation alert on Wednesday night, warning residents to prepare to leave immediately.

Approximately 700 residents around Lake Deka have been forced to leave their homes.

The fire in the southwestern part of Lake Deka in central British Columbia is currently out of control. It is expected that fire activity in the area will increase throughout Saturday and may produce smoke that is very noticeable in the area. (British Columbia Wildfire Service/Twitter)

Additional evacuation warnings have been issued to 153 properties in the Sulphur Lake area.

Chris Kim, a spokesperson for the Caribou region, said: “This fire has become very big from the beginning.”

Untimely conditions

The heat wave and subsequent thunderstorms that passed through British Columbia last week made the province’s interior areas dry and unusually warm.

“The heat wave has dissipated, but we still see very high heat,” said Jean Strong, British Columbia Fire Information Officer. “We have seen very dry, flammable fuels that are easy to ignite and spread quickly.”

she says 76 fires I was ignited by lightning in the last two days. The Wildfire Service said the Deka Lake fire was caused by lightning on Wednesday night, and they suspected that the Duran Lake wildfire was also caused by a storm.

Wildfire includes a fire Forcing the evacuation of Litton Village in British Columbia Notice on Wednesday night.

On June 30, 2021, a video taken by a Lytton resident fleeing the BC community showed that many buildings were on fire. (2 Rivers Remix Society/Vimeo)

Litton Village in British Columbia was evacuated and the mayor said that “the whole town is on fire”

The two fires near Lytton have spread to at least 90 square kilometers because the wildfire service said the new map shows the spread of the fire. The nearby George Road fire is still classified as out of control.

More fire considerations

The federal minister has pledged to support fire protection in British Columbia, and public safety minister Bill Blair said the government has been preparing for the wildfire season in the past few weeks.

Watch | The FBI vowed to help British Columbia:

As BC Wildfire Service personnel continue to fight more than 100 active wildfires across the province, the federal government has vowed to provide any additional support needed to fight the fires. Officials expect more than 70 new fires in the coming days. 7:47

This Mackay Creek Fire The burning area 23 kilometers north of Lillooet has expanded to an estimated 220 square kilometers. As of Saturday afternoon, the British Columbia Wildfire Bureau stated that there were 93 firefighters, 13 helicopters and 9 pieces of heavy equipment at the scene.

The wildfire agency said that the fire is suspected to be caused by man-made, and the fire can be seen from surrounding communities such as Clinton in British Columbia.

Near Castlegar, Merry Creek Fire The estimated area is 0.2 square kilometers, but it is located only 8 kilometers southwest of the town. As of Saturday morning, 70% of the fire was under control, but it was still classified as out of control. Some streets outside the town boundary still have evacuation orders.

BC Wildfire Service stated that the fire appeared to have been caused by man.

According to DriveBC, Highway 3 is still closed in both directions to help support nearby firefighters.

Anyone who receives an evacuation order must leave the area immediately.

Evacuation centers have been set up at the following locations to help anyone evacuating from communities threatened by wildfires:

  • Castlegar: Castlegar Community Complex, 2102 6th Ave.
  • Chilliwack: Chilliwack High School, 46363 Yale Road.
  • Kelowna: Salvation Army, 1480 Sutherland Avenue.
  • Merritt: Merritt Civic Center, 1950 Mamette Ave.

Encourage evacuees to Emergency Support Service Online, regardless of whether they receive services in an evacuation center.

Those looking for a loved one can call the Canadian Red Cross at 1-800-863-6582 for family reunification services.



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