BURST
Firefighters in B.C. are gearing up for a busy long weekend, as the number of active wildfires jumped to 120 Friday, up from 90 on Thursday.
Evacuation orders remain in place for residents in Peachland, and near Lytton, Harrison Lake and on Vancouver Island.
Much of the province is parched from continuing hot and dry conditions. Although heat warnings have been lifted for parts of the B.C. Interior such as the Okanagan and Fraser Canyon, temperatures are still expected to be in the low-to-mid 30s, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Heat warnings remained in effect Friday for Fort Nelson, and the North and South Peace regions. Lytton is under an air quality alert because of the wildfire smoke.
Here’s an update on the wildfire situation for Friday, Aug. 1:
Number of wildfires jumps to 120
The number of active wildfires in B.C. continues to spike after high temperatures and lightning strikes this week, with about 120 blazes burning in the province.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says half of the active fires were started in the last 24 hours, with 16 declared out during that same time period.
The wildfire service says the Cariboo Fire Centre region in central B.C. saw more than 1,200 lightning strikes Wednesday, and they started 13 new fires in the area.
The Snaking River Wildfire, which is 65 kilometres west of Quesnel and is 1.5 square kilometres in size, is producing smoke that is visible from Quesnel, Highway 97 and surrounding communities.
Heat warnings have ended for much of the province and there’s a small chance of isolated showers, but dry conditions mean fuel on the ground remains ripe for ignition.
—The Canadian Press
Evacuation order remains in place for wildfire near Lytton
The Cantilever Bar wildfire, which is now 12 square kilometres in size and located 10 kilometres south of Lytton, is spreading at a moderate to high rate of speed, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
An evacuation order for Lytton First Nation remains in place. Four areas also remain on evacuation alert.
The fire is highly visible from Highway 1, and fire officials are asking motorists to use extra caution and be aware of the surroundings while passing through.
Evacuation alert issued for campsite, cabins near Harrison Lake
An evacuation alert has been issued for some properties near Harrison Lake as the Bear Creek wildfire continues to burn out of control.
The Fraser Valley Regional District issued the alert Thursday for the North Cascade Bay Area on the east side of Harrison Lake.
People who live in the affected area are asked to be prepared to leave their homes on short notice. “This is a cautionary notification as wildfire behaviour is not predictable,” said the regional district.
It said closures to the Harrison East Forest Service Road and other forest service roads might limit access to the area.
The evacuation alert includes the Cascade Peninsula Recreation site, which has 25 campsites on the eastern shore of the lake south of the wildfire.
It also covers about 50 cabins in the North Cascade Bay area.
The Bear Creek wildfire was discovered Tuesday and has been identified as a wildfire of note. As of Thursday afternoon, it measured about 0.9 square kilometres.
Vancouver Island wildfire prompts evacuation order
On Vancouver Island, an evacuation order was issued for properties in the Nanaimo region including waterfront properties on the north side of Cameron Lake and a portion of Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park.
The Wesley Ridge wildfire, which is burning on the north side of Cameron Lake, is considered out of control and has grown to 0.9 square kilometres from 0.2 sq. km. the day before.
Rebecca Taylor, a spokesperson for the Nanaimo Regional District, said “a few dozen” properties were covered by the evacuation order.
A statement from the district said additional properties to the northeast of the lake are under an evacuation alert, meaning residents should be ready to leave if required.
Fire officials say the blaze is burning aggressively in difficult to access terrain.
While Highway 4 is not impacted, fire officials are asking all travellers using Highway 4 to be mindful of crews working in the area and to proceed with caution.
Wildfire near Peachland spreading, about 400 properties still on evacuation order
Evacuation orders and alerts remain in place Friday for residents in Peachland because of the 0.57-square kilometre Drought Hill wildfire, which is considered out of control.
The fire has forced the closure of stretches of highways 97 and 97C in the area.
Police are urging boaters to stay out of Okanagan Lake on Wednesday as crews battle the wildfire on Drought Hill in Peachland.
The B.C. Wildfire Service reported the blaze in the Kamloops Fire Centre on Wednesday.
Evacuees can temporarily report to the Peachland Community Centre, while a muster centre has been opened at Royal LePage Place in West Kelowna for those who cannot reach the other centre.
Fire officials say 35 wildland firefighters are responding alongside fire department crews. Land-based airtankers, skimmers, bird dogs and three helicopters are aiding in the response.
Small wildfire reported in Pitt Meadows
Firefighters battled a small wildfire that broke out in Pitt Meadows late Thursday. The B.C. Wildfire Service said the blaze was small and burning in the slopes near Sheridan Hill, in a northern area of Pitt Meadows.
Two homes in the immediate area were evacuated as a precaution, and there are currently no reports of injuries to people or animals. Later Thursday night, firefighters got it under control, and the residents were allowed to return home.
The fire is within the jurisdiction of the Pitt Meadows fire department, but the wildfire service sent an initial attack crew and a helicopter to help prevent further spread. The cause is under investigation.
With fires burning across B.C., is it safe to continue with travel plans?
If there were a weekend that could be described as peak summer in B.C., this would be it. Local vacation destinations see a surge of visitors as the cities empty out a little.
But with forest fires raging across the province, is it advisable to travel?
“The August long weekend feels like the height of summer for us,” says Ellen Walker-Matthews, CEO of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, where a wildfire is burning near Peachland. “We welcome people to continue with their plans.”
The patio at Bliss Bakery in Peachland was busy on Thursday, said owner Barry Yeo. Guests enjoyed baked goods and a water show as helicopters picked up buckets of water from the lake.
The bakery has a strong customer base, but business triples in the summer months, he said. “It should be business as usual this weekend,” he said.
Harrison Hot Springs is also open despite a wildfire burning about 20 kilometres away on the eastern shore of Harrison Lake.
—Glenda Luymes
More to come …
With files from Cheryl Chan, Lynn Mitges and The Canadian Press