Evacuation orders have been issued for 2 regions in northern BC as hundreds of wildfires rage
A regional district in northern BC has issued two evacuation orders due to the risks posed by the wildfires in Tsah Creek and Finger Lake.
The Bulkley-Nechako Regional District says the threat from the Tsah Creek wildfire has led to the evacuation order for all properties on either side of Highway 27 near Echo Lake and Bearcub Forest Service Road. A evacuation alarm was also issued Sunday morning for properties further north along the highway.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure closed a 7-mile stretch of Highway 27 corridor between Blue Mountain Road and Kenner Road late Saturday night as a precautionary measure after the wildfire breached control lines.
The road was reopened early Sunday morning, according to DriveBC, which says visibility in the area is likely to be limited due to dense smoke.
CLEAR- #BCHwy27 The road is now open in both directions between Blue Mountain Rd and Kenner Rd after being closed due to a wildfire. Travelers can expect limited visibility with dense smoke in the area and are advised to drive carefully. #Vanderhoof#FortStJames
It is just the latest evacuation order placed in British Columbia, where dozens of new fires broke out over the weekend, affecting hundreds of residents in the northern part of the province.
The regional district, along with the Saik’uz First Nation, has that too ordered the evacuation for all properties south of the Bobtail Connector and Kluskus Forest Service Roads, near Finger Lake, as the Finger Lake wildfire continues to spiral out of control. The order includes two resorts, which have already been vacated.
On Saturday, Recreation Sites and Trails issued BC and the Bulkley-Nechako Regional District an evacuation order for Kager Lake Campground and Trails and Boer Mountain trail system due to the danger of the Tintagel wildfire.
That fire is also burning out of control, covering 1.5 square miles and continuing to spread. Evacuation alerts covers 144 vacation rentals near Burns Lake.
Emergency alerts have been issued by the Cariboo Regional District due to wildfire risks in the Townsend Creek and Branch Road area.
The first warning was issued Saturday night for eight packages covering about 15 square miles because of the Townsend Creek wildfire.
The fire was discovered that afternoon and is believed to have been sparked by lightning. Listed as out of control, it currently covers 1.1 square kilometers east of Margaret Lake.
The Cariboo Regional District has issued an evacuation alert for the side road area.
Interactive map: https://t.co/cgmxp9ixjB
Visit www.caribord.ca for more information.#CaribooFires < a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCWildfire?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCWildfire @EmergencyInfoBC pic.twitter.com/m8eKadSWQv
The district has also issued an evacuation alarm for 27 lots in the Branch Road Area, covering an area of more than 193 square kilometers.
The BC Wildfire Service says the wildfire on Branch Road discovered Friday evening is out of control.
An evacuation alert means residents should prepare to evacuate their homes, possibly with little to no notice. An eviction notice means that a resident must leave immediately.
Hundreds of forest fires rage
As of 9:30 a.m. PT on Sunday, there were 241 fires across the province, with 156 deemed uncontrollable.
Ten of those fires are classified as fires of note, meaning they pose a threat to public safety or are particularly visible.
All but one of the fires are in northern BC, where thousands of lightning strikes occurred over the course of Friday and Saturday, which combined with an extreme heat warning for the region sparked dozens of new fires.
The fires of note include the Powers Creek fire south of Smithers, the Davis Lake fire north of Mission, and the Donnie Creek fire in northeastern BC, the largest on record in county history.
