Campers evacuated after flaring wildfire trapped them in southern B.C. backcountry
About 80 campers have been evacuated from Cathedral Provincial Park in southern British Columbia after being trapped overnight by a nearby wildfire.
Dale Bojahra, a co-ordination officer with the BC Wildfire Service, told a news conference Wednesday that an increase in wind speed a day earlier triggered a “dramatic increase in fire behaviour” by the Crater Creek wildfire and the nearby Gillanders Creek blaze.
An evacuation order was issued as the fires grew from a combined 11 square kilometres early Tuesday to what the wildfire service estimates is now 100 square kilometres. Bojahra noted that the two fires have combined into one blaze, now called the Crater Creek wildfire.
Officials initially said the nearby Cathedral Lakes Lodge was not in immediate danger and that conditions on the rough access road, including wildfire debris, meant that sheltering in place was the best option for campers and staff trapped there while an evacuation plan was formed.
Brittany Seibert, an emergency program co-ordinator with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, told the conference that a route out of the park was cleared by wildfire service staff Wednesday and a convoy carrying the campers left around 1 p.m.
She said the district is aware of one person who was hiking in the area, and search and rescue is actively working to bring them to safety.
“We have worked very diligently on that today and we're feeling quite confident we have managed to identify and notify, and get people out,” Seibert told the news conference.
Late Wednesday, the district issued an evacuation alert for up to 4,800 properties in West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation and the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area.
Wildfire crews across B.C. are bracing for a cold front from the northwest due Thursday that will meet a ridge of high-pressure air currently sitting over B.C., which has caused record-breaking temperatures and dry winds. The BC Wildfire Service has said this will create even stronger winds, dry lightning and a greater potential for new fire starts.
BC Wildfire Service superintendent Neal McLoughlin released a public service announcement Wednesday, saying they were “very concerned” about the forecast.
“Our firefighting crews and suppression operations have been working very diligently to secure guard on active wildfires throughout the province,” he said. “We would like to alert the public that there could be rapidly evolving fire behaviour and fire behaviour that could spread very quickly across the landscape.”
In Keremeos, Bojahra said crews are preparing for what that could mean for the rapidly growing Crater Creek fire.
“Wind is incredibly impactful on wildfires, especially when it aligns with the slope,” he said. “We'll be watching that very closely tomorrow afternoon.”
He said wildfire service meteorologists have predicted the cold front will pass through the area around 5 p.m. Thursday, but cautioned the timing is still a rough estimate and is likely to change.
Erick Thompson, an information officer with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, previously said the Crater Creek fire had forced evacuation orders for 13 properties along the Ashnola River and in the Snowy Protected Area of Cathedral Provincial Park, as well as Cathedral Lakes Lodge.
He also confirmed residents in 74 other properties along the Similkameen River west of Keremeos were told to be ready to leave on short notice.
“Things did move very quickly,” Thompson said, describing the fire behaviour as “challenging.”
“There was an evacuation alert put in place at approximately 5 p.m., under the advice of the BC Wildfire Service,” Thompson said. “From there until there was an evacuation order put in place at 10:15 p.m., certainly conditions changed.”
Thompson said 20 campers evacuated from a recreational campsite on Buckhorn Creek after midnight.
A separate fire, west of Lillooet, also grew more threatening on Tuesday, prompting renewed evacuation orders and alerts for the communities of Shalath and Seton Portage, along Seton and Anderson Lakes.
The wildfire service website said it was close to lifting evacuation orders covering more than 200 properties around Gun Lake, north of Pemberton, where the 26-square-kilometre Downton Lake fire has destroyed three properties, but because of the incoming wind and potential lightning, those plans had been stalled.
The website showed roughly 370 blazes across B.C. late Wednesday, including about 150 ranked as out of control.
The wildfire danger rating has climbed to high or extreme across the southern third of the province and a large section of the central Interior as a heat wave brings sweltering temperatures to those regions.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre supports Israel 'proactively striking' Iranian nuclear sites to defend itself
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is supporting Israel's right to defend itself against Iran following last week's ballistic missile attack, saying that right includes 'proactively striking Iranian nuclear sites and oil installations to defund the terrorist regime.'
Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm. Florida orders evacuations
Florida's storm-battered Gulf Coast raced against a Category 5 hurricane Monday as workers sprinted to pick up heaps of appliances and other street debris left over from Helene two weeks ago and highways were clogged with people fleeing ahead of the storm.
'Selfish billionaire': Chip Wilson's mansion vandalized after political sign erected outside
Days after a political sign was erected outside Lululemon founder Chip Wilson's Vancouver mansion, the waterfront property has been vandalized with graffiti.
'Feel free to get naked,' witness testifies Toronto councillor told her during 'networking' weekend
Toronto Coun. Michael Thompson 'forced himself on' a woman who awoke to find him standing over her after she fell asleep drunk, the Crown alleged Monday, as the five-day sexual assault trial of the six-term politician began in Bracebridge, Ont.
Is Disney World still open as Hurricane Milton strengthens to a Category 5?
Despite Hurricane Milton evolving into a Category 5 storm, Walt Disney World Resort remains open to the public and will operate as normal. However, the park announced Monday a few closures in an abundance of caution.
Disgraced former Winnipeg football coach sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual assault
A disgraced Winnipeg high school football coach convicted of sexual assault and luring will spend 20 years behind bars.
Two people injured in apparent road rage incident, shooting in Toronto
Two people are in hospital after they were chased and shot at in what appears to be an act of road rage before eventually flipping their car while trying to escape, police say.
Sammy Basso, longest living survivor of rare rapid-aging disease progeria, dies at 28
Sammy Basso, who was the longest living survivor of the rare genetic disease progeria, has died at the age of 28, the Italian Progeria Association said on Sunday.
Prayers, protests and police as Canada marks anniversary of Oct. 7 Hamas attack
With prayers, protests, and a heavy police presence, Canada has marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and triggered an ongoing war.