Wildfire sparks evacuation order for B.C. community

VANCOUVER — An encroaching wildfire set off an immediate evacuation order Thursday for residents of Tumbler Ridge, a community of 2,400 people in northeastern B.C.

The district said in a message issued Thursday afternoon by the B.C. Emergency Alert system that residents should leave the area immediately due to the risk to life.

The West Kiskatinaw River fire was only discovered on Tuesday, but has grown to 96 square kilometres.

Joline Couture, a Canadian Ranger living in Tumbler Ridge, said smoke was heavy as she prepared to go door-to-door to ensure people were aware of the alert and had started to leave.

“We’re remote, surrounded by forests all over. I think the town is well rehearsed on how to take fire orders because there’s no chaos, there’s no speeding,” she said. “It seems that everybody is remaining calm.”

Couture said the remote community is surrounded by forests so lightning fires are “bound” to happen, but hoped the wildfire would be suppressed before it reached infrastructure.

The alert came just as government and B.C. Wildfire Service officials held a news conference about wildfire activity in the province.

Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma said the area burned this year had already exceeded the total amount burned in 16 out of the past 20 wildfire seasons.

She said 382 wildfires have burned a total of 5,205 square kilometres since April 1.

“We’ve also seen that heat events are becoming more frequent and projected to become more severe due to climate change. Heat is now a part of our reality and it is critical that British Columbians understand what they can do to protect themselves and their loved ones if these events happen,” Ma said.

Neal McLoughlin, superintendent of predictive services for the B.C. Wildfire Service, said he’s concerned about the start of the fire season.

“It is quite alarming to see this amount of area burning this early in the season and it certainly doesn’t bode well for the remainder of this summer.”

A B.C. Wildfire Service advisory said the fire near Tumbler Ridge was caused by lightning and was spreading aggressively.

It was not responding to suppression efforts, the advisory said.

The statement from the District of Tumbler Ridge said the evacuation order includes all those in the district and those with properties at Bearhole Lake. The order said evacuees should leave via Highway 29 or Highway 52 east to Dawson Creek.

McLoughlin said lightningcaused fires are one of the service’s biggest concerns this season.

Two out-of-control wildfires east of Vancouver were contributing to the smudgy skies and Environment Canada said smoke concentrations will “vary widely” as wind, temperature and wildfire behaviour change.

A shift in weather could cut the smoke and the weather office said showers are likely across the lower quarter of the province today, possibly bringing as much as 10 millimetres of rain to the Squamish, Sechelt, Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley regions before sun and heat return at the weekend.