Tens of thousands of British Columbia residents have been forced to flee as fires continue to rage across the province, and destroying homes in Kelowna, West Kelowna, and the Shuswap area.
An estimated 30,000 people have been displaced and another 36,000 have been told to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. However, there were no new evacuation orders issued overnight on Aug. 19.
Aug. 20 NASA mapping data from the Fire Information for Resource Management System US/Canada
shows the extent of the wildfires that are ravaging B.C., Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and much of northern Alberta.
The latest evacuation notice affected Sorrento, a small community on Highway 1, due to the Lower East Adams Lake fire, which has caused considerable damage in the southern Interior in the Shuswap region. Residents from more than 3,000 properties have been forced to flee, and fire officials said the fire grew so rapidly it covered more than 20 kilometres of ground in half of a day.
Fire crews are also continuing to battle a blaze on both sides of Lake Okanagan, where evacuation orders were issued in the evening of Aug. 18. That fire has hundreds of personnel working to battle blazes that have destroyed homes in Kelowna and West Kelowna, with more than 10,700 properties affected by evacuation orders and another 9,500 on high alert to be ready to flee.
Some residents have been posting videos of the fires, with one
showing the ongoing damage and blaze in West Kelowna. Another user
filmed the shore of Traders Cove near Bear Lake Road from a boat on the water. Another used time lapse
photography to show the development of pyro cumulus clouds north and east of Kelowna, reporting wind gusts of 25 to 30 mph and smoke filling the sky.
Currently more than 380 fires are actively burning in the province, 14 of which are considered significant. B.C. declared a state of emergency on Aug. 18 and
orders restricting non-essential travel in areas affected by fire are in place in Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton, and Vernon.
North of the Okanagan, two rapidly moving wildfires combined on Aug. 18 after one fire jumped the Trans Canada Highway near Adams Lake. That fire caused extensive damage, burning down homes and buildings in the Shuswap area, closing down access to highways and major bridges in the area. Residents near Scotch Creek were forced to evacuate the region by
boat.
The BC Wildfire Service
warned late on Aug. 19 that several hazards are present in areas where the fire has passed through, including dangerous trees and non-vegetative smoke.
“Wildland firefighters do not have the training or personal protective equipment to work safely around these hazards,” said the service.
“
Structure protection crews are mopping up around structures. Wildland firefighting crews are focused on slowing fire growth toward structures in areas where the fire continues to progress actively through timber and grassland.”
Another fire, this one near McDougall Creek, is burning at a size of about 105 square kilometres.
According to
BC Hydro, mid-morning on Aug. 20 imore than 5,000 homes were without power, namely in the Thompson/Shswap and Okanagan/Kootenay regions.
The B.C. government provides a
list of all evacuation orders and resources for those displaced by fire online.
Visitors to the province are being asked to leave in order to open up accommodations for firefighters and those displaced from their homes.
B.C. Minister of Forests
said on Aug. 19 that fire crews are working “exceptionally hard to keep lives, homes and businesses safe.” He asked residents to obey travel restrictions and to refrain from operating boats or drones near fire areas.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
