Ashcroft mayor describes ‘ring of fire’ as wildfires loom

ASHCROFT (NEWS 1130) –The mayor of Ashcroft says the village is surrounded by a “ring of fire” as several wildfires threaten her small community in the B.C. Interior.

Barbara Roden says all eyes are on the many encroaching wildfires which have broken out nearby. Among them, the 5,000 hectare Tremont Creek Wildfire, one of 71 wildfires in that fire zone.

Over the weekend, that wildfire forced people on more than 60 properties east of Ashcroft to flee. The evacuation orders remain in place for the community of Walhachin as the fire burns near Barnes Lake.

BC Wildfire Service says some favourable weather conditions have helped reduce the risk to Ashcroft itself, and the threat level is now listed as “minimal.”

For residents, however, it’s impossible to fully relax, knowing the situation could change at any moment.

Although Ashcroft is no stranger to wildfires, the last few weeks have been incredibly stressful for residents.

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Roden says it’s reminded everyone of the destructive 2017 wildfire season, where the Elephant Hill Wildfire left many people in the Ashcroft reserve and the nearby Boston Creek trailer park homeless.

She says compared to that year, when it was just one fire, this time around the fires are everywhere. They include the Lytton Creek Complex, south of the community, as well as the largest wildfire in the province, the Sparks Lake Wildfire, which is burning north of Ashcroft..

“That’s what’s so concerning to people is what if these fires start joining up like the two in Lytton have. And the fact that BC Wildfire Service is saying we are stretched to the limit,” she said, adding crews are doing an amazing job, but could use a lot more help.

There are currently 3,000 personnel working on B.C.’s wildfires, and an estimated 300 fires burning as of Monday. With 40 new starts over the weekend, BC Wildfire Service says there aren’t enough firefighters to handle it all.

Fire Information Officer Karley Desrosiers says they have been prioritizing the fires, and more help is on the way. This upcoming weekend, more than 100 personnel from Mexico will arrive in B.C. They will go through COVID-19 testing by the Fraser Health Authority and then be deployed to the most needed areas, she says.

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Ashcroft’s mayor says she’s thankful for everyone’s help to protect her community, but the unsung heroes so far remain the Ashcroft Volunteer Fire Department.

“Last night was their sixth night in a row up on that wildfire with their crew and equipment. Working through the night to provide structural protection to those buildings up there,” she credits their efforts as so far no homes have been lost to the fire.

Despite not enough crews to tackle all the fires, BC Wildfire Service is urging anyone considering taking matters into their own hands, to consider their own safety and the safety of first responders.

“We understand evacuations and alerts are distressing, we understand people want to stay and defend. There’s a lot of risk associated with staying behind,” Desrosiers said, asking people to listen to any orders that are issued.

 

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