Lightning sparks about 200 new wildfires in BC as heat grips the interior

The Bulkley-Nechako Regional District in central BC near Smithers has issued an evacuation order for all property west of the Telkwa River accessible from Tatlow Road, including all local roads, as the Powers Creek wildfire rages nearby.

The 0.2 square kilometer (20 hectare) out of control fire was discovered Friday evening and is believed to have been sparked by lightning.

Everyone in the area is told to collect pets and critical items such as medicines, wallet, keys and turn off all gas and electrical appliances before leaving immediately.

Evacuees should report to the Christian Reformed Church shelter in Smithers.

Bowinn Ma, British Columbia’s Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, provides an update on the province’s current wildfires and drought.

18 buildings evacuated

Earlier Friday, the town of Spallumcheen in BC’s southern interior opened an emergency operations center after 18 properties were evacuated due to a wildfire that got out of control.

The evacuations come amid a spike in wildfires linked to lightning and parched conditions across much of the province’s interior.

Spallumcheen, with a population of about 5,300, says people living in the properties east of Round Lake Road should leave the area immediately.

The council says more than a dozen other properties on the west side of the road are on evacuation alert and should be prepared to leave with little notice.

The council says emergency services are on the scene and tactical support from the BC Wildfire Service is on its way.

It says that people whose property has been evacuated can go to an emergency center in Spallumcheen town hall.

136 active fires in BC

Meanwhile, the Bulkley-Nechako Regional District has issued an evacuation warning for all areas north of the Endako River accessible from Savory Road, due to the risk of the Lake Tatin wildfire spiraling out of control.

Residents are told to be ready to leave.

The Wildfire Service reported 136 active fires in BC Friday afternoon, most concentrated in the province’s northeast.

Among them, 36 have sparked in the past day, including the Spallumcheen fire, which the wildfire service said was caused by lightning and was discovered around 2 p.m. Friday.

The agency says of the fires that raged Friday, 110 were caused by lightning, 19 by human activity and seven had unknown causes.