Evacuation orders and alerts maintained, access restricted near wildfire by Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
People needing to care for livestock, maintain critical infrastructure can request permits to enter area
Crews continue to fight the West Kiskatinaw River fire in northern B.C. that moved closer to the town of Tumbler Ridge on Friday, burning about three kilometres from the townsite, according to the district.
Late Saturday afternoon, the regional district said the fire remained "volatile" and its evacuation orders and alerts will stay in place. It also introduced access restrictions to Crown land at noon Sunday, but people needing to care for livestock or maintain critical infrastructure can request temporary permits to enter the area.
Officials with the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said they hoped this weekend would offer a change in the wind to help push the out-of-control fire away from Tumbler Ridge.
"We are certainly not in the clear at this point, but we are leaning toward a little bit of cautious optimism," said Karley Desrosiers with the BCWS on Friday afternoon.
The town of about 2,400 people went on evacuation order Thursday evening, two days after the wildfire was discovered.
As of Friday evening, 90 per cent of the town had left, officials say, urging those who remain to flee immediately and register online or at reception centres in Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, and Fort St. John.
Tumbler Ridge fire Chief Dustin Curry says about 150 people remained on Friday, some of them emergency personnel, but others residents who refuse to comply with the order to leave.
Those who need hotel accommodation are being asked to go to Fort St. John, 170 kilometres north of Tumbler Ridge.
On Saturday morning, fire information officer Forrest Tower said the wind shift, in addition to some of the smoke dissipating, was aiding crews battling the West Kiskatinaw River fire. The nearby Peavine Creek fire has also not shown the aggressive behaviour that caused it to spread close to Highway 52.
"We aren't anticipating, really, at this time, strong winds that would drive any extreme fire behaviour, significant growth for today and then going into the next few days," he said.
Tower cautioned, however, that evacuation orders are unlikely to be lifted until officials are confident the blaze will not move westward towards the town.
Vancouver Island highway shut down indefinitely
On Vancouver Island, the Cameron Bluffs wildfire continues to burn near Port Alberni. The wildfire made its way to Highway 4, prompting the closure of the major east-west route on Tuesday.
It's now closed indefinitely after officials determined that the fire was causing instability in the incline above the highway, which has caused debris such as uprooted trees and rocks.
The province announced a detour on Wednesday, but cautioned that it should only used for essential travel, as it extends travel time by hours. The ministry also encouraged vehicles to travel in escorted convoys with a pilot vehicle, two eastbound and two westbound daily.
The logging-road detour, closed for eight hours Friday as crews worked to extricate a vehicle that rolled into a lake along the route, re-opened at 9 p.m. that evening.
In a statement Saturday, the province said four convoys of commercial vehicles will be guided along the route daily beginning Sunday morning. The convoys are set to carry essential goods morning and evening until further notice.
"Commercial vehicles will also be permitted to travel outside of these windows, however, there will be no pilot vehicles at those times," the statement read. "Other drivers will be placed behind the convoys because the priority is the movement of essential supplies, such as fuel and food."
Drought season ahead
While a chance of rain is in the forecast for Saturday, Tumbler Ridge is in an area experiencing drought conditions.
The hottest May on record resulted in a rapid snowmelt and record-low provincial snow levels in most B.C. mountains, according to the Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin.
The bulletin states drought risk has been exacerbated by the lingering effects of the 2022 drought and the high likelihood of above average summer temperatures.
Forecasts in the Tumbler Ridge region show a chance of rain on Saturday, with temperatures expected to reach 26 C on Sunday and Monday.
Later in the week, temperatures are expected to cool to 17 C with the possibility of rain showers. Tower said that there is a chance thunderstorms develop in and around the area, which could exacerbate fire activity if winds shift.
Check the CBC News Climate Dashboard for live updates on wildfire smoke and active fires across the country. Set your location for information on air quality and to find out how today's temperatures compare to historical trends.
With files from Akshay Kulkarni