The province is asking tourists to leave, or avoid, the communities of Armstrong, Spallumcheen, the Okanagan Indian Band and parts of the Regional District of North Okanagan in the southern Interior because of wildfires that are a “direct threat to life and property.”
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the government is making this unusual plea to better protect lives.
“While we’re acting out of an abundance of caution, the situation is very serious and could very well get worse quickly,” he said in a media briefing Friday.
Farnworth acknowledged the rise in wildfires in the province can be linked to climate change and will be something the government needs to plan for.
Cliff Chapman, director of provincial operations for the wildfire service, said forecasters expect to see winds up to 30 kilometres per hour today and double that on Sunday, fanning the flames of some of B.C.’s largest fires.
Chapman said if the winds arrive, the wildfire service expects to see aggressive fire behaviour in forests that are tinder dry from recent heat waves, with the potential for embers to push out ahead of the blaze creating significant growth.
There are almost 270 wildfires burning in the province. About 6,200 properties have been evacuated because of the threat of a fire, while residents in about 27,000 properties have been placed on evacuation alert.
About 1,490 wildfires have been started since April 1, burning about 6,000 square kilometres.
The community of Logan Lake, southwest of Kamloops, was ordered to evacuate Thursday night, sending thousands fleeing from their homes due to the 380-square-kilometre Tremont Creek wildfire.
Logan Lake Mayor Robin Smith said municipal fire crews have come from as far away as Elkford, Mackenzie and Burnaby to help put up sprinklers to protect area homes.
“I do want to just congratulate the community in evacuating in a safe and orderly manner,” she said. “We did manage to get everybody out fairly quickly, so that was encouraging for us.”
Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care said in a statement that they are working with the Interior Health authority to house seniors from an Armstrong long-term care home who have been displaced by the wildfire.
Residents of some communities have criticized the actions or inactions of the wildfire service after homes and businesses were lost last week as the White Rock Creek wildfire was fanned by high winds.
Farnworth said those who are asked to leave their properties need to do so, or risk endangering the lives of firefighters and first responders.
“Evacuation orders are put in place to protect lives,” he said. “When people ignore that, then what often happens … is firefighters can be diverted from fighting fires to rescue them.”
Forests Minister Katrine Conroy reinforced that plea, adding that she understands residents may be hesitant, but they need to leave their homes immediately when given the order.
- - -
To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
