Category Archives: Forest Fires

VANCOUVER — There are no longer any “wildfires of note” burning in British Columbia, with the BC Wildfire Service saying favourable weather had allowed crews to make good progress in the province’s battle against hundreds of blazes. The designation means a fire is highly visible or poses a threat to people or public safety… Earlier this month at least nine blazes had been considered “wildfires of note.” But fire information officer Emelie Peacock said the change doesn’t mean the wildfire season is over and there are still a handful of evacuation orders and alerts impacting communities around the province. “It’s certainly welcome news for those people who are able to come back to their communities. But we still do have a lot of fire on the landscape,” she said Monday. Peacock said more than 700 firefighters and 100 aircraft were still out fighting fires in B.C.

The past weekend saw another series of rolling closures along Northwest Territories (NWT) Highway 1 near the territory’s southern border with Alberta. Drivers in the area reported “zero visibility” along stretches of the highway on Saturday morning. A wildfire burned across the road at least once on Sunday. This part of the territory has been besieged by fire for two consecutive summers. This month alone, the NWT government’s Department of Infrastructure issued Facebook advisories for this section of the highway on August 10, 13, 18, 20 and 25. Two heavy equipment contractors helping firefighters in the region described earlier this month having to drive through a wildfire escorting others to safety as conditions became extremely dangerous.

All four West Kelowna fire stations combined to knock down a potentially dangerous fire in the city last night. Fire Chief Jason Brolund said crews battled to prevent the fire spreading towards the storage yard owned by Gorman Bros. Lumber Ltd on Dunfield Road. The first 911 calls came in just before 5 pm, Brolund explained, after a fire was spotted among the grass and trees at the Glenrosa Road and Hwy 97 interchange. “The fire was driven by wind and dry grass, combined with sloping terrain,” Brolund said in a media bulletin. He added: “While this past week’s rain and higher humidity has helped, we still experienced cross-over fire weather conditions this afternoon. Temperatures (above 30ºC) and low humidity (below 30 per cent) with winds (above 30 kilometres an hour) combined to accelerate the spread of the fire. “This is a reminder that we must keep our guard up as fire season continues.”

The large wildfire that destroyed multiple homes in British Columbia’s southern Interior last month is now being held, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS). Officials say the 280-square-kilometre Shetland Creek wildfire is not likely to spread further, but crews still have hard work ahead. A statement from the BCWS says smoke will remain visible from within the perimeter as crews use hand tools to dig out hot spots and turn over and wet down earth to remove heat from the fire. The fire is still listed as one of five wildfires of note in the province, meaning they are either highly visible or pose a threat to public safety and infrastructure. Last week the Thompson-Nicola Regional District lifted most of the remaining evacuation orders and alerts that were in place due to the Shetland Creek fire, which is burning between the communities of Lytton and Cache Creek about 180 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.

JASPER, ALTA. — Parks Canada says a wildfire that forced everyone to flee the Alberta town of Jasper and destroyed close to a third of its buildings is no longer classified as out-of-control and is now listed as “being held.” The agency issued a statement saying that means the fire is not currently expected to spread into any priority areas. Jasper residents were finally allowed to return to the community on Friday after they had to flee the raging flames more than three weeks ago, but an alert remained in place advising them to remain prepared to evacuate again at short notice in case fire conditions worsened. …Parks Canada’s statement says it’s proud to call the wildfire being held on Day 27 of the blaze, especially since it’s the day of firefighter Morgan Kitchen’s memorial in Calgary.

Jessica Lunn, mayor of Slocan, said she drove along Highway 6 this week to survey the damage done by a nearby complex of fires that forced the evacuations of hundreds and destroyed homes along the road. Lunn, who said attention was now turning to recovery, called the losses “heartbreaking,” …The Regional District of Central Kootenay said on Monday that the Komonko Creek blaze, which is one of more than 100 fires burning in the southeast region of the province, had destroyed or damaged at least five homes and 13 other structures along Highway 6. That fire is classified as one of four wildfires of note in B.C., meaning it is highly visible with the potential to pose a threat to public safety. …The BC Wildfire Service said Wednesday that respite may be around the corner with thundershowers expected to bring some much-needed moisture to areas of the province where hundreds of fires are burning, including in the Kootenays.

Several hundred residents of the Village of Slocan and the surrounding area of British Columbia’s Kootenay region are allowed to return home as officials downgrade an evacuation order prompted by a complex of wildfires. The Regional District of Central Kootenay had issued the order on July 28 covering 208 properties in the village and more than 300 in the surrounding area. Residents have been told to stay ready to leave on short notice and the village is on a boil water advisory as two wildfires continue to burn out of control nearby. Slocan Mayor Jessica Lunn says in an update posted to social media that people travelling through wildfire affected areas should “exercise extreme caution” due to hazards such as fallen trees.

Four wildfires continue to burn out of control in the Whistler and Pemberton area on Monday with crews battling the fires by air and on the ground. BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) crews have been at the fires for days after more than a dozen fires were started during a lightning event on Aug. 5. The largest of the fires is the Birkenhead Lake wildfire burning in heavy timber. It’s currently mapped at 360 hectares. On Monday, crews are working to establish objectives due to the rolling debris and steep slope that the fire is burning in. A helicopter is responding to the wildfire along with an initial attack crew, two unit crews, six operational field staff and two tree fallers. “Community members can expect to see smoke,” says a fire information officer. …Lighting activity continues in parts of B.C., while warm and dry conditions are expected to persist. 

Argenta has been downgraded from an evacuation order to alert, allowing residents to return home despite a wildfire still burning east of the small community. The BC Wildfire Service and Regional District of Central Community announced Thursday morning that 82 properties and 19 parcel identifiers north of Bulmer’s Point and east of Argenta Road, as well as Argenta and east of the southern portion of the Duncan forest service road, are no longer on an evac order. An evac order for Duncan Island and boat-access only parcels in Area D north of Glacier Creek Regional Park that impacted one property and 51 parcel identifiers has also been rescinded. The Argenta Creek wildfire, which has been burning since July 18, is 18,390 hectares in size within the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy and listed as out of control.

A wildfire at Plowden Bay, which is located just past Port Mellon and Dogpatch, has already spread to more than one hectare. According the BC Wildfire Service, the fire was first reported at around 4:30 p.m. this afternoon. According to one report, the fire has caused the evacuation of non-essential mill workers from the Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Mill on Port Mellon Highway. A person answering the phone at the mill, was not able to comment when asked to verify. A reporter for the Coast Reporter counted at least seven planes responding to the blaze, including several water bombers. The fire is described by the BC WildFire Service as “out of control”.

Parks Canada is preparing for a long battle with the Jasper wildfire complex, saying that it could rage on until November. Although recent precipitation has helped firefighting efforts on the ground, Parks Canada incident commander Landon Shepherd said in an update Tuesday that it hasn’t changed the long term “prognosis” of the blaze. “We’re expecting that the fire season will continue like it has for the last five fire seasons, where it may extend right into early November,” said Shepherd. Alberta Wildfire said it wouldn’t be uncommon to have a fire burn into the fall… “It depends on how much precipitation they get – it would not be unusual for a large scale wildfire to take several weeks certainly, if not months, to fully extinguish,” said Christie Tucker, Alberta Wildfire information unit manager. The status of the fire is still out of control and burning approximately 34,000 hectares and spanning more than 30 kilometres.

Additional coverage by Wallis Snowdon in CBC News: Summer could be over long before the fight to tame the Jasper wildfire is won

Mounties in Port Alberni say an off-duty officer spotted a woman who is believed to have started a wildfire. Tuesday, Aug. 6, the Port Alberni RCMP officer observed and reported a fire in a forested area, near the Stirling Arm and Canal Main forest service roads. Officers responded to the area and found a 27-year-old woman suspected of starting the fire. Police say she’s been held in custody and brought before the courts, and a detailed report is being sent to Crown counsel for consideration of charges. …Fire information officer Sam Bellion is urging people to use extra caution, including on Vancouver Island, where the fire danger rating currently varies from moderate to extreme. …She adds that so far this year, people are responsible for the majority of the wildfires reported within the Coastal Fire Centre, which includes the Island, Lower Mainland, Central Coast and Haida Gwaii.

NANAIMO — Expect some smoky skies across the region for the next couple of days. Environment Canada is calling for “local smoke” in the Nanaimo and Oceanside areas, beginning overnight Tuesday, Aug. 6, stemming from major wildfires in B.C.’s north. A pair of blazes west of Prince George and south of Burns Lake are providing the majority of the haze, with smoke first drifting west and then being picked up by coastal winds moving south. “[Those fires are] really producing more the stronger concentration of smoke that’s descending down on the Vancouver Island,” meteorologist Brian Proctor said. “We’re also seeing a little bit of smoke drift in and across…from the mainland.” Both the R11204 and the Michel Creek fires each measure around 11,200 hectares and were discovered in mid-July. …Smoke is forecast to reach the region beginning just after dinner on Tuesday and persist at least until Wednesday.

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District and town of Spallumcheen have issued evacuation orders and alerts due to the spreading Hullcar wildfire, at the advice of the BC Wildfire Service. The Hullcar fire was upgraded Tuesday evening by the BCWS to a wildfire of note. The township has placed numerous addresses on Hullcar Road, Deep Creek Road, Todd Place and Frederick Road on evacuation order. Addresses on Parkinson Road, Wyatt Road, Knobb Hill Road, Sharp Road and Salmon River Road and Hullcar Road are under evacuation alert. …The CSRD also has an evacuation alert in place for the east side of Salmon River Road from 1605 to 1915, as well as the west side of Deep Creek Road from 1606 to 2058. Those in the order area must leave immediately, while those under alert should be prepare themselves to leave at a moment’s notice.

The first bus tours into a partially-burned Jasper went ahead Monday morning, as officials from multiple levels of government, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, attended briefings in nearby Hinton, Alta. According to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, buses left from Hinton and Edmonton Monday, carrying 62 passengers. Another bus, from Valemount, B.C., will leave on Wednesday. A total of 563 people have registered. Media are not permitted on the tours. Priority is being given to those whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the wildfire that ripped through the town more than a week ago. Residents are not allowed to leave the bus during the tour for safety reasons. Trudeau attended a technical presentation with Smith and Mike Ellis, Alberta’s minister of public safety and emergency services, Monday morning.

Battles against wildfires near Nordegg continued over the weekend. There are currently two wildfires classified as out of control in the western portion of the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area, according to an update from Alberta Wildfire on Monday. A wildfire referred to as RWF064, located 12 kilometres northwest of the Ram Falls Provincial Park boundary and 25 kilometres south of Nordegg, remains classified as out of control. This wildfire is now estimated to be 6,996 hectares in size. “Firefighters and heavy equipment continue work on building containment lines around RWF064, maximizing use of natural features in the area,” states Alberta Wildfire’s most recent update. “Thanks to the favourable weather, crews are making good progress on containment and suppression efforts. Helicopters will continue to support with strategic bucketing operations, as conditions allow.”

MANNING PARK, BC — The Calcite Creek fire, burning near the eastern edge of Manning Park, produced a pyrocumulonimbus cloud Sunday afternoon which generated thunder and lightning strikes. According to the BC Wildfire Service, the phenomenon is not uncommon on large, intense wildfires. “It is something that we see. That fire was burning rank four, so a crowning fire through the canopy, and when a fire burns that hot, one of the things that we can see is that it starts to generate its own weather,” said Taylor Shantz, a fire information officer. The fire is officially listed as 4,100 hectares in size, but Shantz said that is likely an underestimate because the weather being generated by the fire made it difficult for aircraft crews to clearly see the perimeter.

VICTORIA — Authorities issued an evacuation order Saturday night for 16 properties in a rural area south of Princeton, B.C., because of the out-of-control Calcite Creek wildfire. The properties are located near Highway 3 along the Pasayten Forest Service Road, about 40 kilometres south of Princeton, while alerts were issued for nearby properties at Eastgate and Placer Creek. The province’s Wildfire Service reports eight fires of note in B.C.’s southern regions, including the Dogtooth wildfire south of Golden, which has destroyed 15 structures; the Dunn Creek wildfire located about 100 kilometres north of Kamloops; the Sitkum Creek wildfire northeast of Vernon; and the Shetland Creek Wildfire near Lytton. A wildfire four kilometres south of the Canada-U.S. border at Oroville, Wash., started Saturday and is visible from nearby Osoyoos, B.C. …Officials say there are 333 active fires across B.C., with preparations underway for more lightning-triggered blazes over the coming days.