What you need to know about B.C. wildfires on Aug. 5
CBC News | Posted: August 5, 2023 6:45 PM | Last Updated: August 6, 2023
Lytton First Nation issues evacuation orders for 4 reserves north of Stein Mountain wildfire
The latest on the wildfires:
- The Lytton First Nation has issued an evacuation order for four reserves north of the Stein Mountain wildfire.
- Northeast of Kamloops, the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire nearly doubled in size overnight.
- Evacuation notices are still in place due to a destructive wildfire northwest of Whistler, B.C., which now covers 21 square kilometres near two popular lakes.
- Evacuation orders and alerts were downgraded on Saturday for parts of Osoyoos due to the Eagle Bluff wildfire burning on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
- As of 9:30 p.m. Saturday, there are 370 active fires in B.C., with 12 fires of note — those that are highly visible or threatening public safety.
- Here's how you can find the full list of wildfires, highway closures and evacuation orders and alerts.
The Lytton First Nation has issued evacuation orders for 15 properties across four First Nations reserves north of the Stein Valley fire, as multiple out-of-control fires continue to burn across B.C.
In the order issued on Friday evening, residents of the Yawaucht 11, Tsaukan 12, Cameron Bar 13 and Lytton 13A reserves are being told to leave immediately.
They are being told to head north to Lillooet via Westside Road, or south to Lytton through the reaction ferry.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has also issued an evacuation order for two rural properties near the wildfire, which is burning about 15 kilometres away from Lytton on the west side of the Fraser River.
The Stein Mountain wildfire currently covers an area of 3.33 square kilometres, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS).
"What we're seeing is not necessarily an aggressive fire behaviour, aggressive growth — but rather, burning material moving down slope and causing the fire to grow," said Aydan Coray, a fire information officer, on Saturday morning.
Coray says the fire was burning in steep, dry terrain that was proving a challenge for crews.
As of 10 a.m. Saturday, 180 fires were not responding to suppression efforts across the province.
WATCH | Property owner resorts to using hose to fight wildfire:
Residents out of homes near Adams, Gun Lakes
Northeast of Kamloops, the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire nearly doubled in size overnight.
It now covers an area of 48.233 square kilometres, up from 25.27 square kilometres on Friday evening. Multiple evacuation orders are in place due to the fire, which is affecting a primarily recreational community north of Chase, B.C.
"Winds should increase later in the day, bringing gusty conditions that may see a localised increase in fire behaviour," reads an update from the BCWS on Saturday morning, which warns of hot and dry conditions.
Karley Desrosiers, a BCWS fire information officer, said Saturday that the increased growth came after crews were able to accurately map the fire's boundaries.
"[We're] predicting this kind of this cold front passage, potentially, on Sunday," she said. "Generally, with a cold front, the winds can shift very quickly.
"We are seeing that with these larger fires, the fire is influencing localized weather patterns. So those are all things that we're going to be keeping a close eye on into the weekend."
The Lower East Adams Lake fire is burning across from the Bush Creek East fire on the west side of Adams Lake, which has resulted in evacuation alerts of its own, as well as the closure of the nearby Adams Forest Service Road.
Meanwhile, the Downton Lake wildfire northwest of Whistler continues to threaten properties around Gun Lake and Gold Bridge, B.C., with evacuation orders remaining in place.
The blaze covers an area of 21 square kilometres as of Saturday morning, and has already destroyed some recreational homes around the popular lakes.
Orders, alerts downgraded for Osoyoos
An evacuation order for an industrial park in Osoyoos due to the Eagle Bluff wildfire burning on both sides of the U.S/Canada border was downgraded to an alert on Saturday.
A week ago the fast-moving fire threatened the Okanagan town. On Saturday, the Regional District of Okanaga-Similkameen also removed the evacuation alert from other parts of the town.
The fire is still considered burning out of control. Within the region, 132 properties remain on evacuation order, while 494 are on evacuation alert. For Osoyoos, two properties remain on an evacuation order. Another 66 are on an evacuation alert.
READ MORE:
- Numerous evacuation orders are in place across the province, but some British Columbians told CBC News why they stay behind.
- The province says there is no limit on the amount of money it will spend fighting wildfires and supporting affected communities as B.C.'s worst wildfire season on record continues.
- Tourism businesses in locations near wildfires are seeing a dip in visitors.
- Some of the animal kingdom's smallest citizens have adapted to thrive under wildfires and smoke.
Anyone placed under an evacuation order should leave the area immediately.
Evacuation centres have been set up throughout the province to assist anyone evacuating from a community under threat from a wildfire.
To find the centre closest to you, visit the EmergencyInfoBC website.
Evacuees are encouraged to register with Emergency Support Services online, whether or not they access services at an evacuation centre.
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