The Fire on the battleship on the mountain in the Peace River area developed overnight due to wind gusts of up to 50 km/h, according to fire officials. It is currently burning in an area of 105 square kilometers. The community of Hudson’s Hope northeast of the fire said local emergency and issued evacuation orders for a western part of the district. It’s one of several wildfires of concern in northeastern BC. The Bearhole Lake fire near Tumbler Ridge is also growing, with the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) upgrading an evacuation alert to an evacuation order Sunday afternoon for the community Kelly Lake in BC-Border Alberta. The order covers the town, four kilometers west of the Alberta border, plus an area five kilometers north and south of the community. PRRD officials say those leaving the area can register to access emergency support services at Dawson Creek City Hall in BC or the Beaverlodge Community Center in Beaverlodge, Alta. There are two suggested evacuation routes, one on Highway 671 and another on Highway 52 east. Sarah Hall, fire information officer with the BC Wildfire Service, said the region could see wind speeds of 70 km/h by Monday — which she described as “very extreme.” “This area [Peace River region] in particular it remained relatively dry,” he said on Sunday afternoon. “It creates some accessibility challenges,” he added. “Currently, crews are working to develop access and egress routes to safely find a path to work in the fire area.” While the Battleship Mountain fire is growing on its northeast side, Hall said the growth has not been in the exact direction of Hudson’s Hope. However, he said it is expected to increase in size throughout Sunday. In addition, he said the Bearhole Lake fire would likely impact Highway 52 near the Alberta border and encouraged drivers to check out DriveBC for the latest updates. Thirteen firefighting helicopters are in use throughout northeastern BC. to fight various fires, including the Dinosaur Lake fire, another “fire” near Hudson’s Hope. A notable fire is one that is highly visible or poses a threat to public safety. However, Hall said crews are making excellent progress on this fire, as well as smaller fires such as the Moberly River and Hasler Flats fires.
Fire conditions will continue into September
“We’re seeing temperatures still six to eight degrees higher than that [the] seasonal average for this time of year,” said Karley Desrosiers, another fire information officer. “We actually had temperatures reaching 38 degrees in some areas last week, which means humidity levels are quite low, especially for this time of year.” Desrosiers also said relatively stable weather conditions meant there was little opportunity for wildfire smoke to dissipate. There are air quality warnings due to smoke for much of southeastern B.C A map from Environment Canada shows severe thunderstorm watches for the central Interior and Prince George, as well as air quality warnings across eastern B.C. on Sunday. (Environment Canada) Additionally, a storm watch has been issued for the Cariboo, Prince George and Stuart-Nechako regions — a concern, Desrosiers said, given that more than 70 percent of fires this year have been sparked by lightning. He said temperatures were expected to cool next week, but the fire service would be looking for “smoldering fires” – fires that are lit but still smoldering until drier, windier weather flares up. “We expect fewer new fires, but we are certainly monitoring the ones that are active and affected by the current conditions,” he said.
Evacuation orders at the provincial park
In southwestern BC, evacuation orders are in place for properties in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District due to the Downton Creek fire. Evacuation notices mean residents should be ready to leave their homes immediately. An evacuation order means a resident must leave immediately. In addition to the communities affected by the fires, a portion of EC Manning Provincial Park south of Highway 3 is also upon evacuation order. Two notable fires are burning in the park — the Fat Dog Creek fire north of the highway and the Heather Lake fire, which started across the U.S. border. “On Saturday, they decided to close Windy Joe’s Trail without safety,” park manager Vern Schram said Sunday. “It was more of a precautionary measure.” “We have the structural protection units on site from the Department of Forestry looking at future situations at the moment.”
