Fort St. John under wildfire evacuation alert, thousands in nearby communities ordered to leave

More than 20,000 people in northeastern B.C. have been placed under evacuation alert, and between 8,500 and 10,000 others have been ordered to leave their homes due to rapidly growing wildfires.

The Red Creek and Stoddardt Creek fires in the Peace Region are being fanned by strong winds and growing towards one another.

That has resulted in an alert for all residents of the City of Fort St. John to be ready to leave their homes at a moment’s notice.

Meanwhile, about 20 small rural and First Nations communities have been ordered to pack up and go.

Residents on the west side of the fire complex are said to be at imminent risk, while those on the fire’s east side have been ordered to evacuate as a precaution due to concerns about road access.

The BC Wildfire Service said late Monday evening that crews had withdrawn from both fires “due to aggressive fire behaviour and resulting smoke and poor visibility.”‘

Structure protection personnel continued to assess properties and setting up equipment southeast of the Stoddart Creek fire, it added.

“Visibility is going to be very challenging, and with that wind and the growth that we’re projecting, we’re likely going to be able to keep our crews on the wildfires, we’re going to have to remove them because it won’t be safe for them to work adjacent to these fires,” fire information officer Hannah Swift said earlier Monday.

However, during a later update Swift says the winds have shifted away from the path of Fort St. John and southwest towards Highway 97.

0:52 33 heat records fall in B.C. amid unseasonable heat wave

Highway 97 was also closed in both directions from 27 kilometres north of Fort St. John to 40 kilometres south of Wonowon due to the fire.

The Stoddart Creek wildfire is burning roughly 35 km northwest of Fort St. John. As of May 15, it is an estimated 18,000 hectares in size.

It is considered to be out-of-control and human-caused, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

The Red Creek fire is estimated to be 2,947 hectares in size and is burning to the south of the Stoddart fire. It is also believed to be human caused.

The Peace River Regional District has issued an order for properties in the following areas:

• All properties between Cache Creek and the Beatton River North of Highway 29, 246 Road and Cecil Lake Road.
• From Cache Creek, the evacuation order area extends to the Mile 98 Road and the Beatton Airport Road in the east
• From the Beatton River, the area extends west to include Doig and Osborn
• All properties north of Buick and Rose Prairie need to evacuate as access roads to these communities may be affected by the wildfire

The following communities are included in this Evacuation Order:

• Charlie Lake (Properties north of Highway 29 and 246 Road),
• Montney,
• Rose Prairie,
• North Pine,
• Coffee Creek.
• Buick Creek,
• Prespatou
• Peejay
• Nig Creek
• Altona
• Osborn,
• Murdale,
• Pineview

The Blueberry River First Nations also issued an evacuation order for the entire community Monday evening, citing upcoming road closures.

Evacuees are being directed to a reception centre at Mercer Hall in Dawson Creek, and asked to use the Rose Prairie Road to evacuate.

“We are committed to your well-being, stay calm, the community is not in Imminent Danger, this is a safety precaution and please assist each other during the evacuation process,” the nation said in the order.

1:53 Increasing wildfire risk across B.C.’s South Coast

All residents of Fort St. John should prepare for a potential evacuation order, according to instructions from the city:

• Locate all family members or co-workers and designate a Reception Centre outside the evacuation area should an evacuation be called while separated.
• Pack essential items for a quick departure, such as government-issued ID, medications, eyeglasses, valuable papers (such as insurance, passports, birth certificates, banking and mortgage information), immediate care needs for dependents, cellphone and charger and, if time and space permits, personal keepsakes.
• Prepare to move any disabled persons, children or neighbours if assistance is required.
• Prepare to take pets with you, including pet care items (leash, carrier, food).
• Arrange to transport your household members or co-workers in the event of an evacuation order. Fill the gas tanks of your personal vehicles.
• If you need transportation assistance from the area, call 250-794-5174.
• Arranging accommodation for your family if possible. In the event of an evacuation, Reception Centres will be opened if required.
• Monitoring news sources for information on evacuation orders and locations of Reception Centres.

In addition, the District of Taylor has now placed all properties on evacuation alert. Residents should also be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice and gather the things on the list above in order to prepare.

As a precaution, the Doig River First Nation has told all its members to evacuate from the area. This is due to the possibility of upcoming road closures from the Stoddart Creek wildfire, which would make any evacuations even more difficult.

Residents are being asked to go to Dawson Creek but officials stressed the community is not in any imminent danger.

2:26 B.C. bakes in near-record heat

Meanwhile, the River Forecast Centre is maintaining a High Streamflow Advisory for the Peace Region, including tributaries around Fort St. John, Taylor, Chetwynd, Moberly Lake, Pine Pass, Hudson’s Hope and Dawson Creek.

The highest temperatures are expected Monday and Tuesday, according to Environment Canada, as daytime highs will be 10 to 15 C above seasonal, while overnight lows will be 5 to 10 C above what is normally experienced this time of year.

Hot temperatures are forecasted to last through the week with temperatures in the mid to upper 20s C range.