B.C. man says Venable Valley locals are piecing together their losses from wildfire
![Shetland Creek wildfire A helicopter is used to battle the Shetland Creek wildfire, near Kamloops, B.C., in a July 21, 2024, handout photo. The recent stretch of lightning and storms have pushed the number of wildfires burning in British Columbia past 400, and crews have increasingly turned to aircraft to battle the spike. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO — BC Wildfire Service](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/7/24/shetland-creek-wildfire-1-6975981-1721839593833.jpeg)
Ramanath Das said he is aware that the eco-village he and his family are building in Venables Valley, B.C., may no longer exist when they return after being evacuated due to an encroaching wildfire.
“We’re ready to go back and everything is as it was with ash all over it, or nothing’s there," said Das, who is the general manager of Vedic Eco Village.
Das, his wife and their two dogs have been camping an hour away in the Nicola Valley since July 17, after being forced from their home by the Shetland Creek Fire, the same blaze that triggered evacuation orders or alerts in communities such as Ashcroft and Spences Bridge in the B.C. Interior.
He said evacuated valley residents, many of whom live in the Saranagati Hare Krishna village where the Vedic Eco Village belongs, have pieced together that they may have lost their homes and other structures.
Local government officials have said the "aggressive" blaze burned more than 20 structures in the Venables Valley, including at least six homes.
Several B.C. communities are in the path of fire, which measured about 225-square kilometres on Wednesday. It is one of the most threatening of active blazes in the province, although 60 per cent of the more than 430 wildfires burning in B.C. remain out of control.
Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma told a news conference that there are about 550 people under evacuation order and another 5,000 on evacuation alert as of Wednesday.
She noted the number of people under evacuation alert dropped by about 2,000 since Tuesday after the alert covering Williams Lake was lifted. That change came after crews were able to contain the River Valley Wildfire that crept into the city on Sunday and it is now classified as "being held."
"It is the case that our evacuation numbers right now are manageable for us, but that can change very quickly, which is why we continue to work closely with communities (and) continue to work around the clock on preplanning for potential evacuations," she said.
She noted the province is seeing "nowhere near" the number of evacuations it did in 2023.
"However, for those individuals who are evacuated, the impacts are equally as harrowing when you are away from your home and you do not know whether your home and all of your prized possessions and your memories have survived," she said.
B.C. also saw an influx of travellers from Jasper, Alta., after a fire forced park visitors and 4,700 residents to escape from the town with little notice on Monday.
Ma said the only safe route for 25,000 evacuees was to travel along Highway 16 into B.C.
"Alberta has directed evacuees to three emergency reception centres, one in Grand Prairie, one in Calgary, and another in Edmonton," she said, noting B.C. has worked closely with Alberta to assist them in their evacuation efforts.
The BC Wildfire Service reports that 80 per cent of the current fires were started by a series of lightning storms that swept across the province in the last few weeks.
Forests Minister Bruce Ralston said during the news conference that B.C. is facing storms, wind, lightning and drought, and "it is clear climate change is arriving faster than predicted."
But, he said, some respite is on the way in the north, where rain and cooler temperatures are forecast.
The BC Wildfire Service also said in its report on Wednesday that much of the province is returning to more seasonable temperatures with the exception of the southeast where hot and dry conditions persist.
"By Thursday, we will be seeing the coolest temperatures in over a month across B.C.," it said.
At an unrelated news conference Wednesday, Premier David Eby said the province is doing everything it can to adapt and apply lessons learned from last year’s record wildfire season.
"We are seeing more extreme fire seasons every single year," he said.
"We had a bunch of fires burning underneath the snow in British Columbia, something I didn't even know was possible, and it underlines some of the scale of the challenge that our firefighting crews face out there in order to be able to learn from last year's record season and be ready for this year — as ready as we could be."
On the line fighting the Shetland Creek fire, crews were using heavy equipment on the mountain slopes above Spences Bridge to prevent the blaze from burning toward the southern Interior community.
Jeff Walsh, an incident commander with the BC Wildfire Service, said in a video posted Tuesday that hot and dry conditions coupled with gusty winds have fuelled erratic and aggressive behaviour on the fire, driving its spread to the north.
Ma said during the news conference that the province is focused on the wildfire fight and returning people, like Das, safely to their communities. Until then, she said, the province won't be able to assess the damage, but regional districts may release their own information.
Das said that once he is clear to go home, he plans to take matters into his own hands. He said the group had already been preparing to build homes “in the ground with living roofs,” and any structural lost would only speed up that process.
“The structures come and go,” he said. “I had plans to dig in and make an earth home, and as soon as they let us back, I’m going to be digging in the earth.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7028745.1725663146!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Pakistani citizen arrested in Canada, charged with plotting terrorist attack in New York
A Pakistani citizen who resided in Canada has been charged with plotting a terrorist attack at a Jewish centre in New York City.
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick dies after collapsing outside Winnipeg courthouse
The Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has died after collapsing outside of the Manitoba courthouse Friday afternoon, according to multiple sources.
Woman who was denied a liver transplant, after review highlighted alcohol use, has died
Questions are being raised about the case of a 36-year-old Ontario woman who died of liver failure after she was rejected for a life-saving liver transplant after a medical review highlighted her prior alcohol use.
Montreal man given $664 fine for tying dog to parking meter while grabbing a croissant
A Montreal man who tied his dog to a parking meter while he entered a bakery is now facing a hefty fine for breaking a law he had no idea existed.
Canada-wide warrant issued for woman in fatal Toronto shooting
A 36-year-old woman is wanted for first-degree murder following a shooting near an after-hours club in Toronto earlier this month.
Molson Coors ends diversity, equity and inclusion policies, moves to 'broader view'
Brewing company Molson Coors says it is dropping its diversity, equity and inclusion policies and taking a 'broader view' in which all employees know they are welcome.
Selena Gomez is a billionaire
Selena Gomez can now add becoming a billionaire to her long list of achievements.
Teen girl charged with attempted murder after student set on fire at Saskatoon high school
A 14-year-old girl faces an attempted murder charge after a 15-year-old girl was doused in a flammable substance and set on fire at a Saskatoon high school Thursday.
Victim of Vancouver stranger attacks had surgery to reattach severed hand: police
The surviving victim of a pair of stranger attacks in downtown Vancouver on Wednesday has undergone surgery to reattach his hand after it was severed in the assault, according to police.