Shuswap wildfires prompt slew of new evacuation orders, Highway 1 closure

B.C. transportation officials moved to close Highway 1 between Chase and Sorrento in the Shuswap region, as an aggressive wildfire in the area continues to expand southward and threaten communities.

DriveBC says crews and traffic control personnel were being deployed Friday evening, and that an alternate route was available via Highway 97 and Highway 97A.

It said the Upper Arrow Lake ferry would also be running 24 hours due to the closure.

BC Hydro also reported power outages for thousands of customers in the area due to fire and transmission circuit failure.

The move came as the massive 10,000-hectare Lower East Adams Lake fire, which is just north of Shuswap Lake’s westernmost point, flared up Friday amid strong winds and dry conditions. The area is also threatened by the 3,200-hectare Bush Creek East fire.

The closure follows a flurry of evacuation order and alert expansions throughout the day.

Late Friday, an evacuation order was expanded to cover Scotch Creek, Lee Creek, Celista, Magna Bay and Little River area between Squilax Bridge and Sorrento.

People living in the Turtle Valley area east of Chase were also ordered to leave their homes immediately.

Earlier in the evening the entire Village of Chase, a community of more than 2,200, was placed under an evacuation alert. The Thompson Nicola Regional District also placed the nearby Turtle Valley area under an alert.

“The East Adams Lake fire situation is rapidly deteriorating around Little Shuswap Lake and the Village of Chase this evening,” the Thompson Nicola Regional District said.

On Friday afternoon, the BC Wildfire Service said conditions on the ground had become dangerous to firefighters.

“The current weather event has caused extreme fire behaviour on the Lower East Adams Lake and Bush Creek East wildfires,” the service said. “Crews have been pulled back to staging areas in the interest of responder safety.”

Across Adams Lake is the Bush Creek wildfire, and another 12 properties were issued evacuation orders on Friday afternoon.

The properties are in Electoral Area P, from 7530 to 8385 Loakin-Bear Creek Road. A map is available online.

Also Friday, evacuation orders were ordered for 11 private properties (7080 to 7220 Little Shuswap Lake Road) in Electoral Area P, along with the Celista area, up to Evans Road.

Also, at 4:10 p.m., an evacuation order was issued for Little Shuswap Lake Band IR No. 1 Quaaout plus North subdivision and Dancing Fawn subdivision.

Earlier Friday, BC Wildfire Service director of provincial operations Cliff Chapman said the fire had seen some growth on its western flank and was trying to push downslope.

He said crews had conducted a planned ignition on Thursday, and would spend Friday focused on trying to defend that line.

“It will be our continued effort throughout the day to try and hold and secure that line where we did the planned ignition in the interest of protecting North Shuswap and beyond,” he said.

There are currently 43 wildland firefighters and 15 helicopters fighting the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire. There are also 20 pieces of heavy equipment and 15 structure protection resources supporting.

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