Tumbler Ridge resident Michelle Chisholm and her family had their bags packed with all the essentials, including camping gear, when an order to evacuate the town forced them to leave.
Chisholm, who has lived in Tumbler Ridge in northeastern British Columbia for 10 years, said her dilemma was dealing with her horse since she doesn’t have a trailer.
She said she had arranged with someone at the local saddle club to get it out, but then the highway to Dawson Creek was blocked off.
Chisholm put out a public plea for help moving her animal to safety.
“I just kept getting phone calls and phone calls of all these people who were willing to help, so that made me feel good that strangers were willing to help, like, no questions asked,” Chisholm said.
Chisholm, her husband and their two children are now staying with friends in Fort St. John, about 170 kilometres north, waiting out the evacuation order.
Once her family and their pets were safe, they could settle in for a “great weekend” with the friends hosting them, though her young children may not fully understand what’s happening, she said.
“They know there’s a fire, but they’re not panicking. We just are making it as a fun road trip for them,” she said. “So, they were happy, you know, playing the whole time.”
Showers are predicted Saturday over the aggressive wildfire threatening Tumbler Ridge, but forecasters say thunderstorms could sweep through the parched region without bringing any rain.
Environment Canada says Tumbler Ridge and Dawson Creek are experiencing heavy smoke and temperatures almost 10 degrees above normal.
That could complicate efforts to fight the out-of-control West Kiskatinaw River wildfire, which has burned 96 square kilometres of bush and timber east of Tumbler Ridge in the three days since it was discovered.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says the blaze is among just over 80 active wildfires in the province, including the two-square-kilometre fire that has closed the Vancouver Island highway connecting Port Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet to the rest of the island.
A four-hour, back-road detour allowing limited movement in and out of the area was also set to be closed for much of Friday as a vehicle was pulled from a lake.
“All travellers are urged to avoid travel along the detour route before, during and after the closure because commercial trucks will be queuing for passage,” the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.
Tofino Mayor Dan Law said food, fuel and other supplies are coming into his community and people who need to travel are finding their way out.
Still, he described the detour as a “long, very dusty, very dirty, windy road” that’s seeing a lot of traffic, including some people driving in unsuitable vehicles.
“People in a car with passenger tires can expect to get a flat,” he said.
Law said he’s in touch with provincial officials and expects the stretch of Highway 4 to reopen once the fire is sufficiently suppressed.
“The word that we have coming from the province is that Highway 4, the road itself, is in good condition. It hasn’t been compromised,” he said.
In the meantime, local airlines have been adding flights and Law said he’s encouraging people trying to get to Tofino to consider flying.
Winds have been pushing smoke from the wildfire that’s burning east of Port Alberni away from Tofino, he added.
“Right now, conditions are very dry and we expect that to continue,” Eby said.
“Please use caution, so that we can try our best to avoid a catastrophic fire season.”
Environment Canada said rain was expected Friday and Saturday over much of southern B.C., with between five and 10 millimetres over much of the south coast by Saturday, while Interior forecasts called for around the same amount between Cranbrook and the Prince George area.
