Strong winds cause B.C. wildfires to grow overnight; more in forecast
Weather conditions are not helping firefighters on the front lines of wildfires burning throughout the province.
In a tweet on Sunday, the BC Wildfire Service said it was “anticipating another challenging day of fire behaviour and growth,” due to increased winds and dry conditions.
Strong wind has proven to be a problem over the weekend in the fight against the Tremont Creek wildfire, west of Kamloops. The blaze grew 20,000 hectares in just 24 hours.
As of Sunday afternoon, it covered 63,000 hectares of land. So far, nearly 28,000 properties on evacuation alert, and 6,300 properties are under evacuation order, including the entire District of Logan Lake. The fire has reached the town, but no structures have been destroyed.
“We did have ground crews working hard (Saturday) in the flank where the Logan Lake district is, and they were able to have structure protection in the area,” said Taylor MacDonald, fire information officer for the BC Wildfire Service.
On Sunday morning, air crews were able to douse the flames from above. By the afternoon, however, the smoke had thickened to the point where air support had to be grounded, leaving ground crews to fight the fire.
Meanwhile, in Lytton – a village already ravaged by an earlier wildfire – a second evacuation is now in place. Structures are being threatened by the Mowhowkam Creek and George Road fires, which are burning between Lytton and Boston Bar, east of Highway 1.
Farther east, the White Rock Lake wildfire continues to burn out of control west of Vernon. Thick smoke and ash covered much of the city on Sunday as winds picked up in the region.
“You constantly feel dirty,” said Kerry Taylor, who lives in a rural area near Vernon.
“You can’t breathe. It’s actually terrifying to look outside.”
The White Rock Lake blaze has put parts of Vernon on evacuation alert since Aug. 6. High winds have caused the 62,000-hectare fire to spread. Thankfully, officials say, the flames are moving toward unpopulated areas.
“Where there are communities and people, we’ve had a lot of time in the past few days to put in work, in terms of guards and structure protection,” explained Forrest Tower, fire information officer for the BC Wildfire Service.
Taylor says it feels as though her family is living in limbo, uncertain of whether the fire will move in their direction. As a precaution, many of her family’s belongings have been moved to a storage unit. She, her husband and their 9-year-old daughter are ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Taylor describes the smoky air as unliveable.
“I used to sniff my daughter’s head and would smell sunshine coming off her head because she was playing outside,” Taylor said. “Now, it smells like smoke.”
She adds the Interior is currently dealing with two crises: wildfires and rising cases of COVID-19. Because her daughter is too young for a COVID-19 vaccination, they’re keeping their distance from others.
“It’s really hard for families,” she said. “We’re all isolated, and we’re all stuck inside. It’s terrifying.”
The B.C. Wildfire Service expects to see increased winds across southern B.C. in the coming days.
“It’ll be more of a dynamic situation in the next 72 hours than it has in the past week,” said Tower. “We’re always urging people to keep up to the most recent information.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
BREAKING Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.