Evacuations and wildfires of note updated at Thompson-Nicola Regional District meeting

Earlier– As of Saturday (July 3), there are four out-of-control wildfires of note within the Kamloops Fire Centre: Durand Lake, George Road/Lytton Creek, McKay Creek II and Sparks Lake.

During a public information meeting held by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) about the status of wildfire, Mark Healey with the B.C. Wildfire Service said the George Road blaze (350 hectares) and the Lytton Creek blaze (8,732 hectares) have essentially joined.

“It’s not a bigger fire or taking up the tree canopy,” Healey stated. “It’s a slow-moving fire. It is burning within that watershed.”

Healey added it’s unknown is there is any water contamination at this time. He said their top priority is to move crews up Highway 1 and 12 where the fire is spreading, along with ensuring they stop it from spreading north and crossing the Fraser River. Healey said communication links and rail lines will need to be repaired.

Senior Wildfire Officer Dennis Rexin said the Sparks Lake fire was last estimated at over 30,000 hectares. He said B.C. Wildfire Service is prioritizing structure protection, with 135 firefighters in priority areas around protected communities, so they can establish points where they can work from safely.

Rexin said there are over 30 pieces of equipment working on the East, South and West portions of the Sparks Lake fire. He added they’re seeing decreased behaviour on the east, north and west portions of the blaze. He admitted the south side is providing more difficult fire activity compared to the other sections in the last 24 hours.

“As we get better modeling, we’ll be reviewing all recommendations on restrictions and alerts and orders as we get into this very long event,” Rexin stated.

Kamloops Fire Centre Manager Kaitlin Baskerville provided updates for the rest of the fire activity. She said over the previous four days, more than 170 fire starts have emerged. She added the Kamloops Fire Centre is seeing conditions normally seen in mid-August.

“Many wildfires have had extreme growth due to advanced fuel-drying by three weeks in most of the province,” Baskerville said. “Hazardous fuel became extremely volatile.”

The McKay Creek fire north of Lilloeet is measured at approximately 23,000 hectares and is considered out of control. The cause is still under investigation. Baskerville said there’s been no growth and air and ground crews are working to suppress the fire.

The Durand Lake fire southwest of Kamloops is measured at 450 hectares and is considered out of control. The suspected cause is lightning. Baskerville said they’re working on fire suppression strategies.

“That fire is looking pretty good in our eyes,” she said. “We’re seeing some downward reduction in the size of that fire already.”

B.C. Wildfire Service is optimizing resources from less affected areas of the province. Baskerville said they’ve made national requests in from other provinces that will arrive in the coming days, and they’re also working with the federal government and Canadian military to secure additional assets.

Evacuations: properties affected and where evacuees can seek help

Mike Knauff, Central Regional Manager with Emergency Management B.C., said during the meeting that if municipalities or First Nations don’t have an existing evacuation plan, they come to Emergency Management B.C. for support.

“Our procedure is to approach other First Nations and local governments and ask them to step up their programs to support other communities,” Knauff said. “Merritt, Lower Nicola Indian Band, District of Lillooet, Spences Bridge, Boston Bar, Chilliwack and the Central Okanagan Regional District have stepped up.”

Knauff said he has heard Kamloops’ lodging beds are full, but some may be available in Merritt and Chilliwack.

Evacuees who need emergency support services can register online or call toll-free at 1-844-537-7377. Reception centres are in 100 Mile House, Chilliwack, Kelowna, Merritt and Williams Lake. Evacuees are asked to go to the destination recommended by their local government or First Nation.

According to Michelle Nordstrom, TNRD Emergency Operations Centre Information Officer, there are eight evacuation orders and three evacuation alerts in place, affecting more than 1,200 properties.

Nordstrom said during the meeting that as soon as they can safely enter areas where property damage is known, or has been suspected to have happened, they’ll complete a property assessment and send it to the owners. She said there are plans to offer residents impacted by the Lytton Fire to tour the area by bus.

Nordstrom said the TNRD Emergency Operations Centre has been active since Wednesday (June 30) and operates between 12 and 14 hours a day. The TNRD Emergency Operations Centre can be reached at 250-377-7188 or toll-free 1 866-377-7188.

Lytton: ‘For those of you who are looking to go back, please don’t’

Village of Lytton Councillor Lilliane Graie addressed displaced residents during the meeting. She encouraged everyone to register with Emergency Support Services so the village can find them and get them in contact with family and friends.

“For those of you who are looking to go back, please don’t,” Graie said. “It is incredibly dangerous there right now. There are areas that are quite toxic, and we need to keep you out of there and safe. We are having first responders in there who are taking care of what’s down there, and we will rebuild at some point. Don’t worry; you are not forgotten. We know you’re there and we’re here for you.”

Graie added if evacuees leave the area they’re in, they must re-register for Emergency Support Services so they can be found and accounted for. They can also contact council for assistance. She added the Village of Lytton is working to obtain counseling for grief and trauma in the future.

Anyone who needs to locate a loved one is asked to call the Red Cross Reunification line at 1 800-863-6582.

Looking ahead

TNRD’s Debbie Sell said there could not be a public Q&A with more than 450 people watching the meeting on Zoom at one point.

TNRD Board Chair Ken Gillis said there will be similar meetings on a regular basis to update the public.

by Aaron Schulze

Evacuations and wildfires of note updated at Thompson-Nicola Regional District meeting

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