Wildfire service on 'heightened alert' as unprecedented heat sparks early season fires
Marshall Potts moved to Sparks Lake in 2016 as part of what he called his “spiritual journey.”
On Tuesday, the musician and rancher, who started with a small cabin, and now looks after dozens of cattle and chickens, was forced to evacuate the home he and his partner share, as a wildfire beared down.
“We’re packed up with our photos and anything that’s important to us, including my two favourite amps, two favourite guitars,” Potts said, hours before they were placed under evacuation order.
The fire, which the B.C. Wildfire Service said was spotted Monday afternoon, grew quickly, jumping to 350 hectares by Tuesday morning, then suddenly mushrooming to 750 hectares after noon.
“It looks we got to go,” Potts said in a video posted to his Instagram account.
“It’s now hit that ridge and she’s candling and she’s probably going to come into our place now. Thanks for all the prayers and stuff.”
Jean Strong, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, said crews were “on a heightened alert,” chiefly because the unprecedented heat, where temperatures in some spots have approached 50, combined with a drier than average spring has quickly put most of the province under high to extreme fire danger.
And Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan said some of the conditions appear to be mirroring one of the worst fire seasons on record.
“There’s a lot of similarities to 2017 when the Cariboo essentially exploded, but that was later (in the season),” he said.
Strong said it was too early to predict what the winds and weather patterns may have in store.
“ I understand that there’s anxiety in a lot of areas of the province that have been affected by these fires in the past, and rightfully so,” she said.
“But I want the public know that we are prepared for whatever activity might happen.”
Strong said the service was preparing by deploying crews to high risk areas, as well as aircraft patrols to spot fires as soon as they spark.
And while she said roughly a third of some two dozen fires currently burning in B.C., including the Sparks Lake fire northwest of Kamloops, are believed to be human-caused, lightning is also a significant concern.
Castellan said dry lightning would be a risk on Wednesday from the extreme northeast of the province near Fort Nelson, straight down through the Cariboo.
Back near Sparks Lake, as Potts’ ranch as eight other properties were ordered to evacuate, the musician said he wanted to thank the firefighters not only for battling the flames, but for doing so in extreme conditions.
“Humanity hasn’t lost its humanity,” Potts said. “People are here to help and we’re all here to help each other.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
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.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.