The largest fire on record is Battleship Mountain in the province’s northeast, which, as of Monday afternoon, was estimated at 280 square kilometers — an area larger than the city of Kelowna. The lightning-struck fire prompted an evacuation order for the entire community of Hudson’s Hope, about 220 miles (360 kilometers) northeast of Prince George, on Saturday night. Emergency Management BC reports a total of 1,032 people in the region have been ordered to evacuate their homes. Further south, flames east and west of Hope also prompted evacuation orders and alerts, as well as the closure of eastbound lanes of the 1 Freeway. In total, 162 active wildfires are burning across the province and air quality advisories remain in effect for much of B.C.
The evacuation order covers “critical” dams
In Hudson’s Hope, evacuees have been directed to a reception center in the nearby community of Fort St. John, where they can look for supplies and a place to stay. Hudson’s Hope Mayor Dave Heiberg says residents understand the situation and hope their homes will be protected as the Battleship Mountain wildfire approaches the community, which says the BC Wildfire is now about 12 kilometers from its edge area. The WAC Bennet and Peace Canyon dams in northeastern BC, which provide much of the province’s electricity, are under evacuation orders as the Battleship Mountain fire grows in the region. (BC Wildfire Service) Wildfire spokeswoman Sarah Hall said crews had been “tremendously successful” in controlling the blaze through controlled burns, but with wind and sun forecast for the rest of the week, it was too early to know how soon people would be allowed back into the wild. their homes. The evacuation order also covers BC Hydro’s Peace Canyon and WAC Bennett dams, which are part of the infrastructure responsible for producing 38 per cent of the utility’s output each year. “These dams and their generating stations are vital public infrastructure. In light of this, both facilities will continue to operate with limited staffing,” BC Hydro said in a statement. The agency said it is also possible to operate the dam remotely if necessary. “BC Hydro has plans in place to support reliable power supply to the province should fire risk change in either the generation or transmission system.”
Highway 1 is closed
The flames west and east of Hope, BC, prompted evacuation orders and alerts, as well as the closure of eastbound lanes of Highway 1. A five-square-kilometre wildfire is burning near the highway between Chilliwack and Hope, with flames traversing steep terrain, making it a challenge for crews, officials said. The BC Wildfire Service says the Flood Falls fire near Highway 1 west of Hope is burning in steep terrain, making access difficult for ground crews. (BC Wildfire Service) “Due to hot and dry conditions, increased fire behavior will be seen today,” the BC Fire Service said in a statement. “[But] our temperatures should be below seasonal standards today and a chance of light rain on Tuesday and Wednesday.”
Air quality is still poor
Environment Canada maintains air quality statements for areas from the Peace River in the northeast to the Cariboo in central BC. and the entire southern third of the province. Fires in Hope, BC and Washington state have blanketed Vancouver in smoke. (Justine Boulin//CBC) The federal government’s air quality index shows areas with the highest levels of potentially dangerous wood smoke include Cranbrook and Castlegar in southeastern B.C., the eastern Fraser Valley and the communities of Whistler and Squamish. Fires in BC, Washington, Oregon and Idaho are being blamed on smoke. Air quality improved in Metro Vancouver on Monday after poor conditions over the weekend.
