Northeastern B.C. community of 2,400 ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
Tumbler Ridge, a community with a population of 2,400 in northeastern B.C., has been ordered to evacuate Thursday due to the danger posed by an encroaching wildfire.
The evacuation order, which was sent out using the province's emergency alert system, warns residents that the West Kiskatinaw River wildfire "poses a threat to human life."
Brandon Broderick, a Tumbler Ridge resident, said the evacuation order took him by surprise because there was no evacuation alert issued beforehand.
“So there was very little warning which we were kind of surprised about because the town seemed to know that the fire was heading our direction,” Broderick told CTV News.
He and his partner quickly packed up their two vehicles with their belongings, two dogs and three cats.
The blaze, sparked by lightning and discovered on Tuesday, is burning out of control and is estimated at 9,600 hectares. The BC Wildfire Service said Thursday that the fire has seen "aggressive growth" over the past 24 hours.
Broderick, a photographer, went to check out the blaze on Tuesday afternoon and was startled by how quickly flames spread when he went back that night.
“It had grown significantly in 10 hours or so since I had been there. And it's just continued to grow since. It's very windy so it's just feeling it is extra dry this year,” he said. “Seeing the big huge plume of smoke growing behind the house was a pretty surreal experience.”
Brandon Broderick, who has been forced to evacuate his home in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., took this photo of a wildifre near his community on Tuesday, June 6. (Photo submitted by Brandon Broderick)
He estimates there was a bottleneck of 20 to 30 vehicles on their way to Chetwynd from Tumbler Ridge.
In a post on the district's Facebook page, evacuees are being told to go a reception centre roughly 120 kilometres away in Dawson Creek, which is only accessible by one route – Highway 29. The other possible way out is Highway 52 which is closed because of the wildfire.
According to the BC Wildfire Service, flames will be fanned due to easterly winds which are preventing firefighters from suppressing the blaze from the ground and air.
A shift to westerly winds is expected Saturday.
As of Thursday in B.C., there were 82 wildfires burning across the province, and a total of 382 wildfires had sparked since April 1.
Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma told reporters at a news conference that the 520,520 hectares burned so far this year already exceeds the total amount burned in 16 of the last 20 wildfire seasons in the province.
Ninety-nine per cent of the burned area has been in the Prince George Fire Centre in the northeast of the province.
Much of Canada and the United States is still grappling with poor air quality from what experts say could be one of the most devastating years for wildfires on record.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Ian Holliday
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.