Wildfires in B.C. remain a concern on Thursday, despite some areas experiencing decreased temperatures and even some rain.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, as of 8 a.m. on Thursday, there are 1,000 properties under order with 3,600 properties under alert.
That equates to 1,400 people under evacuation order and 6,000 people under evacuation alert.
In Central Kootenay, the entire village of Silverton, B.C., is under an evacuation order due to the out-of-control Aylwin Creek wildfire.
The order was expanded on Wednesday for the community of just under 200 people, north of Nelson, as well as over a dozen addresses in the surrounding area.
It is mapped at 400 hectares and is considered a wildfire of note.
The Nemo Creek wildfire is also threatening the area and mapped at 823 hectares across Slocan Lake.
Silverton Mayor Tanya Gordon said winds significantly escalated fire activity on Wednesday.
“I actually got the order to sign the paper just about 6 o’clock,” Gordon said.
“I’ve heard rumblings we were supposed to get rain… we need a lot of rain.”
Also in the Central Kootenay, the Wilson Creek wildfire has placed the entire Village of New Denver on evacuation alert.
The Regional District of Central Kootenay Emergency Operations Centre has issued the alert for New Denver, rural properties surrounding the Village and extending north to the Rosebery Transfer Station, including the community of Rosebery, Wilson Creek FSR, and East Wilson Creek FSR.
A new wildfire on the doorstep of the Slocan Lake Golf Club prompted the evacuation of 16 properties on the east side of Highway 6.
Just north, 59 properties were placed under an evacuation order north of Glacier Creek Park.
Get daily National news
Northeast of that location, an evacuation order was escalated overnight for more than 190 properties at the tip of Kootenay Lake.
Residents of Argenta and Johnson’s Landing were told to leave immediately.
The Argenta Creek wildfire is mapped at 735 hectares and is considered out of control.
Residents of Golden and the surrounding areas are on edge on Thursday due to a wildfire burning in the Parson area near the B.C.-Alberta border.
An evacuation order has been issued for about 100 properties on Malone Road, Parson River Crossing Forest Service Road and Thomas Road.
About 1,200 properties remain on evacuation alert.
The Dogtooth FSR fire is 133 hectares in size.
Three employees at Canadian Timberframes near Golden had no warning when a nearby wildfire jumped the Columbia River and “barrelled through” as many as five nearby homes, the company’s co-owner said.
“The fire was out of control. The winds changed. It came so fast,” Stephanie Bowes said in an interview on Thursday.
“We weren’t even in part of the evacuation order,” she noted, although the order did come shortly after as the employees were helping to fight the fire.
The Town of Golden confirmed Thursday that the fire burning south of the community had destroyed “several structures,” but it did not provide specifics.
In the Cariboo, the Moose Valley wildfire burning northwest of 100 Mile has prompted an evacuation order.
Residents in the evacuation zone are urged to take Highway 97 then head south to 100 Mile.
The wildfire is mapped at 240 hectares and is burning out of control.
An alert has also been issued for 177 properties in the Moose Valley area.
Strong winds on Wednesday evening fanned the flames of the Lower Campbell Creek wildfire south of Kelowna.
An evacuation alert was issued for five properties in Carmi.
The fire was spotted on Tuesday but has already grown to 200 hectares and is burning out of control.
In the Thompson Valley, east of Lillooet, nerves are still high for residents who remain under an evacuation order due to the Shetland Creek fire.
It has grown to more than 22,000 hectares and destroyed at least six homes in the Venables Valley.
The fire is also threatening the town of Ashcroft.
The Shetland Creek fire has also forced the evacuation alert of 213 properties and those residents should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
-with files from The Canadian Press
Comments