Heavy smoke hindering 'unprecedented' wildfire fight in B.C.'s Shuswap
CTV
The fight is far from over in B.C.’s North Shuswap region, where a wildfire has burned homes and businesses in multiple communities to the ground.
The fight is far from over in B.C.’s North Shuswap region, where a wildfire has burned homes and businesses in multiple communities to the ground.
Blind Bay resident Darryl Nob told CTV News the scene was like a “warzone,” or something you’d see in a movie.
What used to be known as the Lower East Adams Lake and Bush Creak East fires have merged, and is now dubbed the Bush Creak East fire. According to BC Wildfire Service, the blaze measures 41,000 hectares, but poor visibility is preventing an accurate perimeter measurement.
On the ground, an exact size measurement isn’t needed to see how devastating the fire has been.
“This is the largest fire we've ever had to deal with,” John MacLean, risk management officer for the Shuswap Emergency Operations Centre told CTV News Sunday. "This is unprecedented."
He said the flames are in and amongst homes in all of the communities in the North Shuswap, including Lee Creek, Scotch Creek, Celista, Magna Bay and Sorrento. The flames are encroaching on the Skwlax te Secwepemculecw and Adams Lake First Nations.
The fire ran 20 kilometres in just 12 hours on Friday, triggering an evacuation order for around 4,600 properties in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District. Another 846 properties are on evacuation alert.
