British Columbia's desperate battle against hundreds of wildfires continues on multiple fronts Sunday. A warning sign about fire risk is seen as smoke from wildfires fills the air, in Kelowna, B.C., Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
KELOWNA, B.C. – British Columbia’s desperate battle against hundreds of wildfires was continuing on multiple fronts Sunday, but no new evacuation orders were added overnight to those already in place, covering thousands of properties across the province.
B.C. Premier David Eby said Saturday the situation was “grim” as he announced an emergency travel ban to fire zones to free up accommodation for 30,000 evacuees across the province, as well as fire crews.
The last new evacuation order was issued at 1:33 p.m. Saturday for residents of the tiny lakeside community of Sorrento on Highway 1, due to the Lower East Adams Lake fire complex that has caused extensive regional destruction in the Columbia Shuswap in the southern Interior.
In the central Okanagan to the south, ground zero for a massive fight against blazes on both sides of Lake Okanagan, no new orders have been issued since 9:18 p.m. Friday.
Hundreds of firefighters there are engaged against fires that have been looming over Kelowna and West Kelowna, causing significant destruction of homes.
Most of the province’s evacuees are from the central Okanagan.
Kelowna fire chief Travis Whiting said about 10,700 properties have been ordered to evacuate in the region, with a further 9,500 on evacuation alert.
A further 36,000 people are subject to evacuation alerts across B.C., warned to be ready to leave their homes at a moment’s notice, the government said.
Kelowna’s Prospera Place arena, home to the Kelowna Rockets hockey team, is now the temporary home for many displaced from their homes.
Volunteers mixed with evacuees at the facility on Saturday afternoon, filling plates from tables of food.
Jason Bedell, the emergency support services supervisor for the Kelowna Fire Department, said they’re seeing “monumental evacuee needs.”
But they are also facing the “unique problem” of being inundated with donations of perishable food from individuals.
“What we are asking is if people are willing and able to donate, please look to your make local food banks or your non-profits, he said.
“If there are commercial kitchens that are looking to do food, they can come to Prospera and meet with a staff member, get on a schedule that we’re creating as we’re finding all the foods coming at once and we don’t want to waste anything.”
With other neighbouring communities dealing with their own fire issues, Bedell said co-ordination has been a challenge, but he called the flood of donations a “testament to the community’s spirit.”
“What we’re missing out on right now is trained volunteers,” he said.
“But we’re working diligently with our partners at the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, who’s providing us with additional resources.
“We are pulling out all stops to make sure we have what we need.”
To the north, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District said firefighters have been “working tirelessly” in the battle against the Lower East Adams Lake fire complex, which has forced the evacuation of more than 3,000 properties.
The merged fire complex has officially been designated the Bush Creek East fire and the BC Wildfire Service said the combined fire is more than 410 square kilometres.
District officials confirmed Saturday there were structural losses due to the explosive growth of the fire, which the BC Wildfire services said raced more than 20 kilometres in about half a day, and “there have been impacts to communities.”
John MacLean with the Columbia Shuswap Regional District said no lives have been lost.
Firefighting officials have said cooler and calmer conditions on Saturday helped crews battle the fires in the southern Interior, but they are expecting difficult days ahead as conditions warm up again Sunday.
The destructive McDougall Creek wildfire that is threatening West Kelowna was last measured at 110 square kilometres.
B.C. officials have restricted travel for the purpose of staying in temporary accommodations such as hotels and campgrounds in several communities in the Okanagan.
Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma has said those accommodations are no longer available for anything other than essential travel so the rooms can be available for firefighters and evacuees.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Eby discussed the wildfire situation Saturday. Trudeau’s office said the prime minister promised to provide all necessary aid from the federal government.
The BC Wildfire Service lists more than 380 active wildfires burning in the province, including 14 that are considered “of note,” meaning they are highly visible or threatening public safety.
The 100-square-kilometre Kookipi Creek fire has forced evacuation orders or alerts in multiple communities in recent days, including the Village of Lytton, that was almost destroyed by wildfires in 2021.
The fire, which has been burning for six weeks but erupted in size recently, forced the closure of Highway 1 on Sunday for about 105 kilometres between Hope and Lytton.
– With files from Brieanna Charlebois in Vancouver and CHNL.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2023.
