Several structures destroyed as B.C. wildfires grow

UPDATE — July 20, 2024: Thousands remain on evacuation alert in B.C. due to wildfires.

Several structures have been destroyed and thousands of people in B.C.'s Interior have been placed on evacuation alert, as the number of active wildfires continues to grow.

The number of fires that are "highly visible or pose a potential threat to public safety" in the province has also tripled, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS).

All three blazes — the Shetland Creek fire, the Aylwin Creek fire and the Komonko Creek fire — are located in the southern half of the province. The latter two received a wildfire of note designation Friday afternoon. 

At the same time, officials are forecasting smoky skies across stretches of B.C. More than 320 fires are burning across the province, with more expected in the days ahead.

Structures destroyed in Venables Valley

Kevin Skrepnek, the emergency services co-ordinator for the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD), told CBC's Radio West Friday afternoon that the Shetland Creek fire had destroyed a number of structures in the Venables Valley, an agricultural region 70 kilometres west of Kamloops.

"There was certainly some rumours going around this morning that the level of destruction was significant, like 40 to 50 structures. I don't have exact numbers, but it is a lot less than that. We're talking likely in the single digits," he said.

"Obviously, no less tragic for the folks who have lost their homes."

The Shetland Creek fire originated approximately 7.5 kilometres north of Spences Bridge on July 12. It has recently exploded in size, growing from 50 square kilometres on Thursday to more than 130 square kilometres on Friday.

Thousand on alert from Shetland Creek wildfire

The aggressive Shetland Creek fire has prompted several evacuation orders and alerts, including an alert for the entire Village of Ashcroft, with residents told to be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

Approximately 2,000 residents are affected by the alert, which also extends to rural parts of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD). Eight properties have already been ordered to evacuate. 

"We're getting ash falling on our cars, on our decks, on our houses, which is very disconcerting for people," said Ashcroft Mayor Barbara Roden.

On Thursday, the TNRD expanded its evacuation order to include about 85 properties in Venables Valley, which affects more than 120 people. The district also issued an evacuation alert for the area Thursday evening for around 170  properties from Spences Bridge to the border of the Ashcroft Ranch. 

The district has called for public support to help find accommodations for evacuees.

According to Skrepnek, the fire is making a "south to north push," which means moving toward Ashcroft and Cache Creek.

"The wind has really been ripping here, pretty much since noon, so unfortunately, yeah, those concerns are persisting ... definitely anticipating that we're going to continue to see this thing grow," he said Friday afternoon. 

The Cook's Ferry Indian Band has issued orders for several reserves.

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CBC's science communicator Darius Medhavi breaks down the impact of severe weather on wildfires in B.C.

The Village of Cache Creek on Friday issued an evacuation alert because of the fire out of an "abundance of caution." The alert includes the Cache Creek Regional Airport and nine other properties, but the main sections of the village are not yet on alert. 

And the nearby Ashcroft Indian Band, which is also on evacuation alert, posted a notice on Facebook Friday, saying band leaders understand that "everyone is on edge with the Shetland Creek Fire burning nearby."

• Learn how to track wildfires and evacuation orders and alerts in your region.

The statement said they are in constant contact with the B.C. Wildfire Service, getting updates when available and they appreciate everyone's co-operation in conserving water they have in the reservoirs to "use in a worst-case scenario."

New wildfires of note, village of Silverton under alert

The BCWS says the two new wildfires of note — the Aylwin Creek fire and the Komonko Creek — are both located near the Valhalla Provincial Park in the Kootenay region and a few kilometres south from the village of Silverton. 

The Aylwin Creek fire was first discovered Thursday and is currently 1 square kilometre. The Komonko Creek fire was discovered Friday and has grown significantly to be around 4.5 square kilometres in size. Both are suspected to have been caused by lightning. 

In response to these blazes, authorities closed Highway 6 Friday to protect the safety of the public and emergency responders. 

On Friday evening, the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) issued an evacuation order for properties south of Silverton in the Red Mountain Road area and east of Slocan Lake due to the the Aylwin Creek wildfire.

Several areas that were on alert Thursday — such as the Bannock Point campground — are also now under an evacuation order, according to Dan Seguin, emergency operations centre director for RDCK. 

"The fire has crossed over from the west side of the highway to the east side of the highway, which is really what triggered the concern for the properties on Red Mountain Road and shifting those from an evacuation alert to order," he said.

In addition, the district has placed the entire Village of Silverton, a community of around 200 people, under an evacuation alert.

Altogether, Seguin told CBC News around 200 properties in the RDCK are on alert and 129 properties on evacuation orders. Evacuees leaving the Silverton are are being directed to check in with the reception centre at the Kaslo Arena, due to the closure of Highway 6. 

Also nearby, the RDCK put in place an evacuation order Friday afternoon for 21 properties and a small portion of Valhalla Provincial Park on the west shore of Slocan Lake due to the Nemo Creek fire.

Heat, smoky sky warnings

On Friday, the province issued a smoky sky bulletin for parts of the Interior and north, warning that several communities were likely to be affected by wildfire smoke in the next 48 hours.

The communities covered by the bulletin include Fort St. John, where air quality was measured at 10+ on Friday afternoon.

Northern Health says it's "proactively planning" for the potential of increased wildfire activities in the region and their effects, which could include moving patients or long-term care residents as a precaution measure or due to evacuation alerts and orders.

Other regions experiencing or expecting smoky skies include Kamloops and the South Thompson, parts of the Kootenays including Creston, Cranbrook and Kimberly, Fort Nelson, the South Peace including Dawson Creek, the Arrow Lakes region and the 100 Mile House area.

Environment Canada on Friday also issued a series of severe thunderstorm watches across much of the B.C. Interior, and a severe thunderstorm warning for the Stuart-Nechako region in the north.

Heat warnings remain in place for much of the province's Interior and north, with temperatures above 30 C, reaching up to 40 C in some areas. 

Ken Dosanjh, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says high temperatures are expected to continue until early next week. 

Dosanjh says thunderstorms and dry lightning that have occurred in the southern half of the province over the past few days are expected to continue throughout Friday. 

"Once you do get lightning strikes that occur, there's kind of a longer time scale where new fires will pop up," he said. 

The BCWS says most of the fires burning in the province were started by lightning. 

Another fire keeping crews busy is the Calcite Creek fire 41 kilometres south of Princeton, which has an evacuation alert in place. In addition, the Regional District of North Okanagan has issued an alert affecting around 25 properties and a bible camp due to an out-of-control fire near the west end of Echo Lake. 

Anyone who sees a wildfire should report it using the Wildfire App or by calling 1-800-663-5555 (toll-free) or *5555 on a cellphone. 

Officials are also reminding people headed out for the weekend to check local conditions and to remember there is a provincial campfire ban in place for all parts of B.C. except Haida Gwaii.