The county announced the expanded evacuation order Saturday night, citing an “imminent threat to life safety” posed by the Battleship Mountain wildfire, which has been burning out of control in the area since Aug. 30. The evacuation order applies to “all properties within the municipal limits” of Hudson’s Hope, a community on the Peace River about 85 kilometers west of Fort St. John. There were 841 residents and 460 private residences in the district municipality as of the 2021 census, according to Statistics Canada. The Peace River Regional District also ordered the evacuation of several properties around Hudson’s Hope. On the website of the regional district you can find a map of the affected areas. The BC Wildfire Service has 65 firefighters battling the Battleship Mountain fire during the day and five working overnight operations, according to an online update posted Sunday morning. There are also 47 structural protection personnel working on the fire, including six night operations. BCWS says there are 12 helicopters shared between the four Battleship Complex fires, of which Battleship Mountain is the only one classified as a wildfire. There are also 16 pieces of heavy equipment and six additional operational staff working with the equipment operators. On Sunday, crews planned to work at WAC Bennett Dam and Hudson’s Hope to establish and implement a structure defense plan. “Temperatures are forecast to rise over the weekend and no measurable amount of precipitation is expected,” BCWS said in its update. “Increased fire behavior can be expected as temperatures rise.” People evacuating Hudson’s Hope are encouraged to arrive at the North Peace Arena in Fort St. John, where a reception center has been set up for evacuees.
