What you need to know about B.C. wildfires for Aug. 4
Evacuation alerts, orders remain in place for lakeside fires near Whistler, Kamloops
The latest on the wildfires:
- All nature parks within the City of Kamloops have been closed as of 4 p.m. PT on Friday due to dry conditions and the possibility of fire.
- More residents and businesses allowed to return to Osoyoos as evacuation orders reduced.
- Evacuation notices are still in place due to a destructive wildfire northwest of Whistler, B.C., which now stands at 21 square kilometres near two popular lakes.
- Two properties near Lytton have been ordered to evacuate due to the nearby Stein Mountain wildfire.
- The B.C. Wildfire Service is hoping for "a good day of firefighting weather" Friday as crews work on a fire that has forced evacuations on the edge of East Adams Lake north of Kamloops, B.C.
- Highway 3 has re-opened west of Osoyoos, B.C., after a smoke-related closure on Thursday.
- There are currently 354 active fires in B.C., with 19 fires of note — or fires that are highly visible or threatening public safety.
- Learn more about how to find the full list of wildfires, highway closures and evacuation orders and alerts.
The city of Kamloops has closed down all nature parks indefinitely due to wildfire risk in the city.
As of 4 p.m. PT on Aug. 4, all nature parks in Kamloops have been closed to the public due to fire risk, and will remain so until further notice. That includes:
- Kamloops Bike Ranch.
- Dallas-Barnhartvale Nature Park.
- Kenna Cartwright Nature Park.
- Peterson Creek Nature Park.
- Rose Hill Park.
- Skyline Park.
- Valleyview Nature Park.
- The trail connecting Barnhartvale to Peterson Creek through Juniper Ridge.
The City has also closed the Barnhartvale Landfill and Yard Waste Depot.
More Osoyoos residents allowed to return
Less than a week after hundreds were forced from their homes by a fast-moving wildfire, more residents and businesses of Osoyoos, B.C., about 3.8 kilometres from the border with the U.S., are being allowed to return.
An evacuation order that includes an industrial area in the town has been downgraded to an alert as the threat from the Eagle Bluff wildfire recedes, days after it threatened the town before favourable winds pushed it away.
A map from the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and the Town of Osoyoos shows only a handful of properties remain under an evacuation order, while the rest are under an alert.
However dozens of evacuation alerts and orders remain in place across B.C. as wildfires continue burning under hot, dry weather, including two fires threatening lakeside properties.
Evacuation notices are still in place due to the destructive Downton Lake wildfire northwest of Whistler, B.C., which now stands at 21 square kilometres near two popular lakes.
The fire destroyed at least five properties earlier this week.
Residents of nearly 100 properties near the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire are still being ordered out by the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, while an evacuation alert was posted for 75 more properties in the area about 20 kilometres north of Chase, B.C.
The B.C. Wildfire Service said crews are hoping for calmer, less-windy weather Friday after a good weather day on Thursday.
"At this point ... our job and our goal is to get people back into their houses as soon as possible," said fire information officer Forrest Tower.
Officials with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District are asking boaters to stay away from all areas on the east side of Adams Lake as debris rolls down steep hills from the wildfire.
Steep, inaccessible terrain a common problem
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District also declared a local state of emergency related to the fire, which is now 25 square kilometres in size. Officials said it was likely sparked by lightning on July 12.
The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says its crews stayed on the fire lines overnight, structure protection teams were "fully engaged,'' and no buildings had been lost at last report.
Steep, inaccessible terrain and gusty winds were complicating efforts to control the blaze, a problem also faced by crews battling the Downton Lake fire.
An evacuation alert for that blaze was extended Wednesday to include the tiny community of Gold Bridge and several surrounding areas, while the evacuation order covering more than 200 properties surrounding Gun and Lajoie lakes remains posted.
Near Lytton, the TNRD and Lytton First Nation issued an evacuation order for two rural properties near the Stein Mountain wildfire, which is burning about 15 kilometres away from Lytton on the west side of the Fraser River.
The 3.33-square-kilometre fire is out of control and burning quickly downslope on steep terrain, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
READ MORE:
- Tourism businesses in locations near wildfires are seeing a dip in visitors.
- Health researchers say more work needs to be done to understand the long-term impacts of wildfire smoke.
- The province says there is no limit on the amount of money it will spend fighting wildfires and supporting affected communities as B.C.'s worst wildfire season on record continues.
- International firefighting teams bring an injection of energy and morale to crews in B.C. — and often a wealth of experience.
- Some of the animal kingdom's smallest citizens have adapted to thrive under wildfires and smoke.
Kootenay alert
Late Thursday, the District of Sparwood and the Regional District of East Kootenay issued an evacuation alert for properties west of Highway 43 and north of Sparwood Heights Drive due to the threat posed by the Lladnar Creek wildfire. The alert covered Whiskey Jack, Elk Valley Trailer Park, Upper and Lower Lodgepole Trailer Park, Savarie Road, Savarie Frontage Road and all properties west of the highway up to 6161 Upper Elk Valley Road.
Hot, dry conditions likely to continue
Cliff Chapman, operations director with B.C. Wildfire Service, said this week would be challenging as hot and dry conditions persist.
The volatile fire conditions forced B.C. Parks to indefinitely close the South Chilcotin Mountains Park because its main access points are through the area threatened by the Downton Lake fire.
The wildfire service was reporting 354 active wildfires in British Columbia on Friday, with 179 of those considered out of control and 13 fires of note that are either highly visible or pose potential threats to public safety.
Anyone placed under an evacuation order should leave the area immediately.
Evacuation centres have been set up throughout the province to assist anyone evacuating from a community under threat from a wildfire.
To find the centre closest to you, visit the EmergencyInfoBC website.
Evacuees are encouraged to register with Emergency Support Services online, whether or not they access services at an evacuation centre.
Do you have a story to share?
If you've been affected by the B.C. wildfires and want to share your story, email [email protected].
With files from The Canadian Press