New evacuation orders issued as battle against wildfires continues in B.C.
CBC
New evacuation orders were issued on Saturday in northern British Columbia as out-of-control wildfires continue to upend life for many British Columbians.
The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality issued an order on Saturday evening due to a fire in the Ittsi Creek and Maxhamish Lake area, covering portions of Maxhamish Lake Provincial Park in B.C.'s far north.
An evacuation alert was also issued by the regional municipality at about 6 p.m. on Saturday, though it's unclear how many properties are affected by the orders.
The wildfire that prompted the orders is currently burning west of the provincial park and covers an area of 10 square kilometres. As of 9 a.m. PT Sunday, 30 fires are not responding to suppression efforts across the province.
In Tumbler Ridge, in the province's northeast, evacuation orders and alerts have remained in place for the 2,400 residents of the town due to the West Kiskatinaw River wildfire, which was within three kilometres of the townsite earlier in the week.
While the large fire — burning over an area of 197.14 square kilometres — led to concern for the town, located in a UNESCO Global Geopark, fire officials said they hoped cooler conditions and a wind shift on Saturday would aid them throughout the weekend.
"Weather prediction is for calm and clear conditions [Sunday] morning, which will help crews continue to work on establishing guards and containment lines to protect Tumbler Ridge," read a status update from the town.
The nearby Peavine Creek blaze continues to burn close to Highway 52, which has meant the indefinite closure of the route near the B.C.-Alberta border.
An evacuation alert means residents should prepare to evacuate their homes, possibly with little to no notice. An evacuation order means a resident should leave immediately.
The Cameron Bluffs wildfire continues to burn near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island, covering a small area just south of Cameron Lake. The wildfire is right next to Highway 4, prompting the closure of the major east-west route on Tuesday.
A detour, which extends travel time by four more hours, was set up using logging roads earlier in the week, with officials saying only essential travel should be undertaken due to the treacherous nature of the route. It features rough roads and some single-lane bridges. There is no cellphone service along the stretch.
In a statement on 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."
The first convoy left from Lake Cowichan, on the other end of the long detour, at 5 a.m. Sunday.
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