Wildfires in both southwestern and northeastern British Columbia have led to evacuation orders, with high winds forecast to continue into Monday.
The Battleship Mountain Fire in the Peace River area grew overnight, driven by winds gusting up to 50 km/h, according to fire officials. It is currently burning on an area of 105 square kilometers.
The Hudson’s Hope Society northeast of the fire announced local emergency and issued evacuation orders for the western part of the district.
This is one of many worrisome fires in northeastern British Columbia. The Bearhole Lake Fire near Tumbler Ridge is also growing, with the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) upgrading an evacuation warning to an evacuation order Sunday evening for the community of Kelly Lake on the BC-Alberta border.
The order covers the town, four kilometers west of the Alberta border, plus an area five kilometers north and south of the community.
PRRD officials say people leaving the area can register to access emergency services at Dawson Creek City Hall in BC or at the Beaverlodge Community Center in Beaverlodge, Alta.
There are two suggested evacuation routes, one along Highway 671 and another along Highway 52 East.
Sarah Hall, a fire information officer with the British Columbia Wildfire Service, said the region could see wind speeds of 70 km/h by Monday, something she described as “very extreme.”
“This area [Peace River region] in particular it stayed relatively dry,” she said on Sunday afternoon.
“It creates some challenges in terms of accessibility,” she added. “Crews are currently working to develop access and egress routes to safely find their way to work in the fire area.”
Although the Battleship Mountain fire is growing on its northeast flank, Hall said the growth is not in the exact direction of Hudson’s Hope. However, she said it was expected to grow in size throughout Sunday.
She also said the Bearhole Lake fire is likely to impact Highway 52 near the Alberta border and encouraged motorists to check out DriveBC for the latest updates.
Thirteen firefighting helicopters are being used in northeastern British Columbia to fight various fires, including the Dinosaur Lake Fire, another “known fire” near Hudson’s Hope. A notable wildfire is one that is particularly visible or poses a threat to public safety.
However, Hall said crews were making excellent progress on this fire, as well as smaller fires such as the Moberly River and Hasler Flats fires.
Forest fires will continue in September
“We’re seeing temperatures that are still six to eight degrees warmer than [the] seasonal average for this time of year,” said Carly Derosiers, another fire information officer.
“We had temperatures of up to 38 degrees in some areas last week, which means humidity levels are quite low, especially for this time of year.”
Desrosiers also said relatively stable weather conditions meant there was little chance of wildfire smoke dissipating. Smoke air quality advisories are in place for much of southeastern B.C
A map from Environment Canada shows a severe thunderstorm watch for the central interior and Prince George, as well as air quality advisories for eastern British Columbia on Sunday. (Environment Canada)
A severe thunderstorm warning has also been issued for the Caribou, Prince George and Stuart-Nechaco regions — a problem, Desrosiers said, given that more than 70 percent of fires this year have been sparked by lightning.
She said temperatures were expected to drop over the next week, but the wildfire service would be looking for “hold fires” – fires that are lit but remain smoldering until they are stoked by drier, windier weather.
“We expect fewer new wildfires, but we’re certainly watching those that are active and that are being affected by current conditions,” she said.
Provincial park evacuation orders
Evacuation orders are in place in southwestern British Columbia for properties in Squamish-Lillooet Regional District due to the Downton Creek fire.
Evacuation alerts mean residents should be ready to leave their homes immediately. An evacuation order means a resident must leave immediately.
In addition to the communities affected by the burning fires, a portion of EC Manning Provincial Park south of Highway 3 is also under an evacuation order.
Two notable fires have been burning in the park — the Fat Dog Creek Fire north of the highway and the Heather Lake Fire, which originated across the US border.
“On Saturday, they decided to close the Windy Joe Trail out of safety,” park manager Vern Schramm said Sunday. “It was more of a precaution.
“We have the structural protection units on site from the Department of Forestry who are just looking at future situations at the moment.”
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