British Columbia is fighting a punishing wave of wildfires, with more than 60 blazes burning out of control across the province and a new evacuation order poised to take effect for one community north of Kamloops. Officials confirmed that residents of 70 Mile House and the surrounding areas are being told of a planned evacuation order that is set to come into force at 10 a.m. Monday, adding to the strain on communities already living under the threat of fast-moving fire.
Many of the new fires were touched off by lightning that moved through the southern parts of the province the previous day, sparking fresh starts across several regions. As the danger grew, an evacuation centre was set up in Kamloops, roughly an hour and a half away from some of the affected communities, giving displaced residents a place to go as the situation continued to shift from one hour to the next.
The planned evacuation order for 70 Mile House, just north of Kamloops, is the latest sign of how quickly the fire risk has escalated. Authorities told residents in the community and surrounding areas to prepare for the order taking effect Monday morning, a step up from an alert that warns people to be ready to leave and instead requires them to go, as crews brace for challenging conditions in the days ahead.
There was some relief further south in West Kelowna, where firefighters gained enough ground that an evacuation alert affecting more than 500 properties was lifted. For people living there, the scare was a stark reminder of how fast a wildfire can bear down on a community, with residents describing a sudden and frightening turn as flames threatened homes before crews managed to push the fire back.
One resident recounted the moment a storm ignited the danger, describing a massive lightning strike that lit up the sky. All of a sudden there was like a big flash, it was a massive lightning strike, you could actually hear the boom, the resident said, adding that within about five minutes the fire was blowing over the mountain and the smell of smoke hung in the air almost like sitting beside a campfire.
With the fire load stretching local resources, officials said more ground and aerial crews are being brought in from outside the province to help. Reinforcements include 25 personnel from the Yukon and 66 from Alberta, and after the long weekend the province said it is looking forward to welcoming more than 100 personnel from Mexico on August 3rd, part of a broader effort to reinforce exhausted crews on the fire lines.
Officials warned that conditions have been difficult and are expected to stay that way, with a few days of hot, dry weather and strong winds forecast for southern British Columbia. The fires are also snarling travel, with sections of two highways closed across the province, while air quality warnings remain in place for much of British Columbia as smoke blankets wide areas and communities keep a wary eye on the flames.