Evacuees in northeast B.C. escape raging wildfire

CBC News | Posted: May 11, 2024 8:44 PM | Last Updated: May 12

Thousands ordered out of Fort Nelson area Friday for Parker Lake wildfire

Image | Wildfires-BC 20240511 Fort Nelson

Caption: The aurora borealis lights up the night sky as a wildfire burns near Fort Nelson, B.C., about 1,600 kilometres northeast of Vancouver. (Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship/The Canadian Press handout)

UPDATE, May 12: Wildfire may hit Fort Nelson, B.C., by Monday morning, fire officials say

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THE LATEST:

Residents of Fort Nelson and Fort Nelson First Nation should to leave their homes immediately.
Parker Lake wildfire has grown exponentially, and is now within 3.5 kilometres of Fort Nelson.
Residents who have not yet evacuated have been warned there will be no help available after noon Sunday.
Evacuees told to drive south to Fort St. John's North Peace Arena, located at 9805 96th Ave.
Those who cannot drive are urged to call 250-775-0933 for support. For emergencies, dial 911.
How to find the full list of wildfires, highway closures and evacuation orders and alerts.

Thousands of people are out of their homes in the northeast B.C. community of Fort Nelson, and the Fort Nelson First Nation, as an out-of-control wildfire burns within kilometres of the town.

The Parker Lake wildfire was first detected just northwest of the community on Friday around 5:25 p.m. MT, but ballooned in size from half-a-square kilometre to nearly 17 square kilometres by Saturday morning burning just three-and-a-half kilometres away from Fort Nelson, with no further growth observed as of Saturday evening.

Embed | Fire threatens northeast B.C. community of Fort Nelson

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The blaze, which officials say started when a tree blown down by strong winds fell onto a power line, sent plumes of smoke toward the community amid an uptick in fire activity across the province with high temperatures.

Thousands of people had to flee the fire and head south to Fort St. John after an evacuation order was issued just before 7:30 p.m. MT on Friday.

Image | FORT NELSON FIRE

Caption: The Parker Lake wildfire near Fort Nelson grew quickly as it was fanned by high winds in a drought-stricken part of B.C. It is suspected to have been caused by a tree that fell on a power line. (Submitted by Tony Capot-Blanc)

"It was a crazy drive. Pretty smoky," said Deborah Erskine, who had to evacuate with her child Nova. "They've managed to keep the fire away from town as far as I know.... It was nose-to-nose traffic to get here last night."

While the drive normally takes around four hours, Erskine said it took nearly six hours to get to Fort St. John arriving in the town around 3 a.m. MT after a "terrible" drive being blanketed by smoke. Both Fort St. John and Fort Nelson use mountain time year-round.

WATCH | Evacuee describes fleeing the area:

Media : B.C. woman describes 'emotional drain' of evacuating home due to wildfire

Caption: Sharon Systad, who was forced from her home in Fort Nelson, B.C., with her husband and their pets, recalls 'looking back and seeing how big that plume of smoke was' and credits their emergency preparation for helping them evacuate from their home quickly.

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Anyone with the means to travel further is urged to drive another 440 kilometres from Fort St. John south to Prince George, B.C., where a reception centre has been opened for people fleeing Fort Nelson, the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM) said Saturday morning.

The evacuation order is the biggest so far this wildfire season, with the municipality being home to around 3,900 people and the First Nation having roughly 400 people as of the latest census.

Track wildfire smoke, active fires and air quality across Canada

Officials have long been worried about a "challenging" wildfire season this year, as a months-long drought persists provincewide and hot, dry conditions are forecast through the summer.

WATCH | Mayor says Fort Nelson evacuation went well:

Media | Mayor hopes for best as wildfire threatens Fort Nelson

Caption: A fast-growing wildfire has moved within 10 kilometres of the community of Fort Nelson. Mayor Rob Fraser is urging residents to leave as crews work to stop the flames.

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NRRM Mayor Rob Fraser told CBC News Saturday morning the evacuation of the town went well, and most people had left.

"I am not aware in my 40 years of being in and around Fort Nelson that we've ever had to evacuate the entire community," he said.

Chief Sharleen Gale, of the Fort Nelson First Nation, urged everyone in the community to follow the guidance of emergency officials.

"Together we stand united in our efforts to overcome this challenge and emerge stronger," she said in a statement.

WATCH | The fire near Fort Nelson:

Media | Wildfire burns near Fort Nelson, B.C.

Caption: A rapidly-advancing wildfire has forced residents of the entire community of Fort Nelson and Fort Nelson First Nation to evacuate. Smoke from the flames could be seen earlier in the day.

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In a joint statement, NRRM and Fort Nelson First Nation said people staying behind despite the evacuation orders should be aware that "emergency medical services are not available, nor are groceries or other amenities."

"Utilities may become impacted to support fire response efforts," the statement said. "Communication networks are precarious, which could impact the ability to reach residents to advise of changing conditions."

Thousands ordered to evacuate Fort Nelson, B.C., due to wildfire

Your guide to B.C. wildfires: Maps, evacuation orders, air quality and more

In a notice posted Saturday night, the NRRM warned the emergency operations centre in Fort Nelson would be relocating south of town, further limiting its ability to communicate with residents. The final buses out of the community, it said, would be leaving from the Woodlands Inn at noon, at which point no further help would be available.

"The potential risks posed by the wildfires in and around Fort Nelson have escalated to a greater level, and the incoming weather system is bringing strong winds from the west which has the real potential to significantly increase the size of the fires over the next 48 hours," the notice warns.

"At this time, all residents who are currently remaining within the community are strongly urged to reconsider and evacuate immediately. You are our friends, family and neighbours. Please stay safe."

High winds challenge firefighters

After the tree fell onto a power line, sparking the fire, Fraser told CBC News high winds then whipped up the flames so much that NRRM firefighters couldn't contain it.

Sarah Hall, a B.C. Wildfire Service information officer, said wind gusts of up to 70 km/h accelerated fire growth drastically on Friday evening.

"The fire is reaching the top of the tree canopies, and also projecting forward," she said Saturday morning, describing the fire behaviour as Rank 5 the second-most extreme on the province's scale.

Image | Fort Nelson Fire

Caption: Heavy smoke is visible from an out of control wildfire that prompted instructions for several neighbourhoods in Fort Nelson to evacuate on Friday night. (Submitted by Angela Klondike)

The continuous drought conditions in the region led to a high fire risk, which combined with the high winds and temperatures to cause particularly aggressive fire behaviour, she said.

B.C. is experiencing a record-low snowpack and drought has plagued much of the province for months. Data from the B.C. River Forecast Centre predicts a long, dry fire season.

WATCH | Evacuees in Fort St. John describe tiring escapes:

Media | Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire evacuees describe their escape

Caption: The CBC's Yvette Brend spoke to evacuees in Fort St. John, after they drove six hours in smoky conditions to escape the raging wildfires in northeastern B.C.

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Only 1 route south

Evacuees have been told to report to the North Peace Arena at 9805 96th Ave. in Fort St. John about a 380-kilometre drive southeast.

Anyone needing transportation is advised to call 250-775-0933, and the district says evacuees should register on the Evacuee Registration and Assistance website at ess.gov.bc.ca.

Northern Health said in a release that Fort Nelson General Hospital has been safely evacuated and is closed until further notice.

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The NRRM has also warned that landlines in the region have been affected by the wildfires, although some services in northern B.C. have been restored.

Denise Wortman and Zack Roy both had to leave their homes to come to Fort St. John, and described having hardly slept amid heightened stress and anxiety.

Image | Fort Nelson fire

Caption: Wildfire smoke obscures the sun in Fort Nelson, B.C. (Submitted by Danielle Sassie)

"It's hard to breathe worried about our homes and stuff," Wortman said. "But it is what it is, right?

"Hopefully, we'll still have a home to go back to."

Image | FORT ST JOHN SMOKE

Caption: A playground in the community of Charlie Lake, 10 kilometres northeast of Fort St. John, is blanketed by smoke on Saturday, the day evacuees headed to the community to escape a wildfire near Fort Nelson. (Yvette Brend/CBC)

Environment Canada is not forecasting rain in the area until Wednesday evening and is predicting only a 60 per cent chance of showers for that night and Thursday.

"It doesn't look like there's going to be much precipitation through that area for the next couple of days at least, unfortunately," meteorologist Heather Rombough said. "By early next week there might be a little bit, but really nothing significant."

Clarifications:

This story has been updated to reflect the population of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and Fort Nelson First Nation according to the latest census data. May 13, 2024 5:51 PM