Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

BC WILDFIRES

Explosive weekend growth on Tremont Creek wildfire leads to more evacuations and alerts

Aug 16, 2021 | 5:03 PM

KAMLOOPS — Plumes of smoke were visible from the Trans Canada Highway Monday (Aug. 16) morning, as the Tremont Creek wildfire now sits just four kilometres from Cherry Creek.

Explosive growth on that fire over the weekend threatened several communities in the area.

“It grew about 20,000 hectares over the course of about 24 hours,” Sparks Lake Complex Fire Information Officer Erin Bull tells CFJC Today. “That very significant movement did prompt the evacuation of several communities, including Cherry Creek, Logan Lake, and some communities around Paska Lake and the Tunkwa Lake areas as well.”

As of 7 p.m. Sunday, the City of Kamloops placed 734 properties located in Pineview Valley, part of Iron Mask Road, and the Versatile Industrial Park on evacuation alert. That adds to thousands of properties across the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) currently facing either an evacuation order or an alert.

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“Currently we have 29 evacuation orders, affecting over 1400 properties,” TNRD Emergency Operations Centre Information Officer Andrew Roebbelen says. “The number of alerts we have right now – 60 alerts – and that’s affecting over 3,000 properties.”

With that many folks displaced as a result of fire activity throughout the regional district, it can pose a challenge to find space for everyone.

“The TNRD is working very closely with [Emergency Management BC] to direct evacuees, really on an order-by-order basis,” Roebbelen explains. “Depending on the number of evacuees we’re expecting and the needs they’re going to have. Certainly, it’s challenging.”

None of the Pineview Valley residents CFJC Today spoke with were willing to do an on-camera interview. However, they all said similar things: they’re packed and ready to leave at a moment’s notice, should that evacuation orders come down.

“Stay vigilant, keep an eye on those news agencies and social media channels for evacuation alerts and orders,” Roebbelen suggests. “Make sure you’ve got the right information and you’re preparing yourself accordingly.”

Cooler temperatures and even some precipitation is expected throughout the week. That means firefighters could get a break from the fire behaviour that caused such exponential growth over the weekend.

“That, in combination with less intense winds, fire activity is perhaps less than we’ve been experiencing in recent days,” Bull explains.