Wildfire evacuation order lifted for residents of Tumbler Ridge, BC

Residents forced to leave by a wildfire last week in northeastern British Columbia, the Tumbler Ridge community was allowed to return home on Thursday.

More than 2,000 people had been ordered to leave last week when a fast-moving wildfire entered the city.

A statement on the District of Tumbler Ridge website says a evacuation warning will remain in effect indefinitely, “and residents are reminded to stand ready to evacuate the area with little notice should the need be determined.”

Residents were told to leave on June 8 when the West Kiskatinaw wildfire threatened to overwhelm the community.

Recent rain and a change in wind calmed the wildfirethough it remains classified as out of control.

For returning residents, the district says Highway 52-N has reopened between Dawson Creek and Tumbler Ridge, and residents can also use Highways 29S and 52E, via the Kelly Lake Road.

The BC Wildfire According to the agency, the fire in West Kiskatinaw has grown to 250 square kilometers since it was discovered on June 6.

Cooler weather has also stalled the growth of a boom wildfire north of the Tumbler Ridge fire which is only a few miles off the Alaska Highway.

A statement from the wildfire service says travel on the main route connecting Yukon and the northeast corner of BC to the rest of the province can be hit in a day or two as the 5,000-square-mile Donnie Creek wildfire expands.

A evacuation warning covers both sides of a portion of the highway between Fort Nelson and Fort St. John and the wildfire service says teams are protecting critical infrastructure along the route and can use planned detonations to create back burns to keep flames away from the road.

Containment lines hold around Vancouver Island wildfirewhich closed Highway 4 east of Port Alberni on June 6, cutting off paved access to that city and the communities of Tofino and Ucluelet.

Efforts to remove fallen trees and rocks above the highway are underway, and the county has said limited traffic could resume next weekend.