Thousands remain on evacuation alert in B.C. due to wildfires

UPDATE - JULY 21, 2024: District of Wells under evacuation order as B.C. heat wave fans wildfires.

THE LATEST:

• Thousands of people are on evacuation alert in B.C.'s Venables Valley, about 130 kilometres southwest of Kamloops, in the southern Interior, where the Shetland Creek wildfire has destroyed several structures, according to officials.
• Hundreds have been told to leave their properties in southeast B.C., where wildfires have forced the closure of Highway 6 near Silverton, about 240 kilometres southeast of Vernon.
• The Aylwin Creek fire and Komonko Creek fire in the Kootenays have led to the entire village of Silverton being put on evacuation alert.
• A new evacuation order and alert was issued in northern B.C. in the Laidman Lake area, about 640 kilometres northwest of Kamloops, on Saturday afternoon, covering a remote area with few properties.
• A persistent heat wave over much of B.C. has heightened fire risks throughout the province, with more lightning in the forecast.
• Learn more about how to find the latest evacuation alerts, orders and wildfire conditions.

More than 2,000 people are preparing to evacuate at a moment's notice in the southern half of B.C., as persistent hot and dry conditions continue to challenge firefighters on Saturday.

The Shetland Creek wildfire, which was fanned by winds and grew exponentially from Thursday to Friday, has led to hundreds of properties being put on evacuation order and thousands of people on evacuation alert — including the entire village of Ashcroft.

In the southeast Interior, the Aylwin Creek fire and Komonko Creek fire have forced hundreds of people to be asked to leave the area in the Central Kootenays.

A heat wave that has settled over Western Canada is increasing the risk for firefighters, with potential thunderstorms in the forecast that could lead to more fire starts.

"We are sitting at 12 or 14 days of temperatures above 35 degrees," fire information officer Kim Wright said, speaking about the southeast section of B.C.

"Even with the significant amount of rain that we received ... in many areas of the Southeast Fire Centre in May and June, this significant heat wave has our fuels hotter and drier."

The Aylwin Creek fire and Komonko Creek fires have forced the closure of Highway 6 near the villages of New Denver and Silverton on Saturday.

The entire village of Silverton, with a population of around 200 people, was put on evacuation alert — which means residents have to be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

"I have talked to a few residents, the nerves and the anxiety is quite high," said Silverton Mayor Tanya Gordon. "My suggestion to most people here is just try to stay calm. Go and talk to your neighbours and make sure they're OK.

"One thing about this community is we're a pretty tight community. So everybody's helping everybody."

Gordon said she's advising people to stay conscious of their water consumption as firefighters battle the blazes near their community.

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said there are almost 1,000 provincial firefighters on the ground, along with resources from Nova Scotia and Ontario, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Some people staying behind

Nearly 130 properties have been put on evacuation order, and around 200 on evacuation alert, in the Central Kootenays due to two fires, with the Aylwin Creek fire sitting at about 1.21 square kilometres and the Komonko Creek blaze around 5.34 square kilometres in size.

Dan Seguin, the emergency operations centre director for the Regional District of Central Kootenay, said some residents have chosen to disregard the evacuation orders and stay behind.

"It does pose a safety concern for life safety for them, from our standpoint, as well as our responders, if situations change and we need to try to get in there," Seguin said Saturday morning.

Wright said a significant amount of smoke was impeding the wildfire service's ability to deploy their air tankers early on Saturday afternoon, and that the service would use aerial resources when it's possible.

She urged residents to stay away from aircraft if they plan to recreate near the water, and also to stay away from forest roads where firefighters are operating.

Mayor hopes fire stays away from community

In the Venables Valley, officials have confirmed structures have been torched due to the aggressive Shetland Creek wildfire, which covered an area of nearly 148 square kilometres as of Saturday afternoon.

Morgan Blois, a fire information officer, told CBC News Saturday morning that the fire was being pushed north by winds, almost perpendicular to Highway 1.

Around 120 properties have been put on evacuation order due to the fire, as well as multiple Cook's Ferry Indian Band reserves. 

More than 1,500 people in the village of Ashcroft have also been told to be ready to leave at a moment's notice due to the fire.

Barbara Roden, the mayor of the Interior community, said she hoped the fire would grow away from Ashcroft and the nearby community of Cache Creek.

"I moved here in 1997, and the first wildfire evacuation alert I had in Ashcroft was 20 years later in 2017," she said. "And since then there have been two more.

"So they're getting to be more of them and they're getting bigger."