Officials lift brief evacuation order for Valemount, B.C., as fire risk eases
![Canoe Road wildfire This aerial photo from the BC Wildfire Service shows the Canoe Road wildfire on Aug. 10, 2024.](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/8/11/canoe-road-wildfire-1-6996710-1723395335423.jpg)
An evacuation order issued Saturday due to out-of-control wildfires south of Valemount, B.C., has been cancelled, as officials thanked the fast action of BC Wildfire Service members who fought to contain the flames.
Residents in the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and the Village of Valemount that were ordered to flee were able to return home Sunday.
Valemount Mayor Owen Torgerson said Sunday he felt “nothing but gratitude” for the firefighters who contained the blaze within hours.
“There was a very quick response by our local fire department, so we had resources on the ground, quickly followed by a swift response from the BC Wildfire Service,” said Torgerson.
“They were the first responders and we are so grateful for their response,” he added.
The BC Wildfire Service said its ground crews have been battling the Canoe Road Wildfire with assistance from Prince George Fire Centre and the Valemount Fire Department.
The agency said airtankers, skimmers and helicopters had also been sent out to respond to the wildfire.
The Canoe Road wildfire was discovered on Saturday and was 0.08 square kilometres in size as of that evening.
Torgerson recalled the Village of Valemount had activated its emergency operations centre and was in contact with the Ministry of Emergency Management after seeing the fires burning about three kilometres away from town.
He said his family had already prepared a 72-hour go kit when the evacuation order was issued.
Torgerson said the fire was started by lightning on a private property with a fairly substantial fuel load, and officials will be monitoring wind conditions Sunday to decide their next course of action.
Valemount is located about 230 kilometres northeast of Kamloops and is home to over 1,000 people based on Statistics Canada's 2021 Census figures.
The now-cancelled evacuation order had affected residents from properties east of Highway 5, south of 17th Ave, and north of the Canoe River. An evacuation alert is now in place for the Cedarside area — meaning residents can remain home but should prepare for a potential order to evacuate.
More than 400 fires were burning across B.C. as of Sunday morning, with 89 per cent of them being started by lightning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7028186.1725644785!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
Buyers say they lost life savings to a Saskatchewan company selling luxury vacation condos
In 2022, Tanya Frisk-Welburn and her husband bought what they hoped would be a dream home in Mexico.
Canadian fast food chains create value menus to win back customers
Canada’s restaurant industry is in a slump as money conscious consumers are eating out less and spending less when they do go out.
Forgotten Cheetos snack bag can have 'world-changing' impact, U.S. national park says
A U.S. national park is cautioning tourists about how a small bag of Cheetos could have an enormous impact.
Man accused of setting on fire a Ugandan Olympic athlete dies of burns
A man accused of dousing gasoline on an Ugandan Olympic athlete, causing her death days later, has succumbed to burns sustained in the attack, according to the Kenyan hospital where he was treated.
'Blown away by your kindness': Meredith Gaudreau thanks Calgary in heartfelt eulogy
Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny Gaudreau’s widow, gave a sincere thank you to Calgary for the outpouring of support for her and the Gaudreau family.
Frenchman on trial for rape of drugged wife is hospitalized, lawyer says
A 71-year-old man on trial in France accused of drugging his wife and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her in their home was hospitalized on Tuesday for medical checks and treatment, his lawyer told journalists.
Apple's new AirPods are also hearing aids. Can they really save you thousands of dollars?
During its glossy product announcement event on Tuesday, Apple unveiled a new role for its latest AirPods Pro model: medical device.
PwC tells employees it will use location data to police 'back-to-office' rule
PricewaterhouseCoopers will start tracking where its employees in the United Kingdom work, in a bid to dial back its current work-from-home culture.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh convenes caucus in Montreal to plot post-deal path forward
Just days after demolishing his deal with Justin Trudeau's Liberals, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is holding a three-day strategy session with his MPs in Montreal.