B.C. wildfire crews say coming week crucial in firefighting effort

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — The next week could be a turning point in B.C.’s wildfire battle, according to firefighting crews.

The BC Wildfire Service says it only has a brief window of time when the weather might cooperate, as the province is expecting cooler weather to come, although it is not expected to last.

“The impact of this rain will be short-lived. Our prime fuels are wet, but deeper layers will remain dry and the amount of rain we’ve received is not enough to reverse the impacts of a very dry spring and the summer we’ve experienced,” Todd Nessman said Tuesday.

There are more than 260 wildfires burning across B.C., with the majority in the Kamloops and Southeast fire centres.

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“Even with all this rain that’s gone on, we’ll start to see drying occur. We won’t be back into the same conditions that we’ve experienced, so it is a favourable week,” Nessman said.

“We’ve really had some good precipitation in some of the key areas that we’ve needed — upwards of 25 to 40 millimetres. It doesn’t solve the problems, but it helps.”

People refusing to comply with evacuation orders remain a problem, according to Nessman.

“Especially in White Rock Lake… it was a dire situation. To have people in that position, is in nobody’s best interest to see that. And so we plead, heed the advice and leave the area,” he said.

There are currently 86 evacuation orders in place across the province. They encompass nearly 8,300 properties.

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“Having to have individuals go and tend to folks who stayed in an evacuation area is problematic, and it’s not the first time we’ve had it happen this summer,” Nessman said. “It presents a challenge for our staff because it puts them in danger.”

Once again, tourists are also being reminded to stay away from fire zones.

Emergency Management B.C.’s Brendan Ralfs is echoing Nessman’s pleas, reminding people to take evacuation alerts and orders seriously.

“We strongly encourage them to leave the area immediately, and I’m going to emphasize that choosing to stay behind, not only puts them at risk, but also, emergency responders,” he said.

As we head into September, Nessman notes some casual firefighting crew members are heading back to school. However, he doesn’t believe that will be an issue as the weather cools down.

On Tuesday afternoon, the B.C. government extended its provincial state of emergency until the end of August.

In a statement, Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth says the extension is to support the “on-going coordinated response to the wildfire situation and to ensure public safety.”

“As we renew this state of emergency for another two weeks, I want to assure British Columbians that we’re taking every step possible to ensure the safety of everyone in these communities. We’re also asking travellers to stay away from fire-affected areas – those under evacuation order or alert – and consider travelling to other areas of B.C. until the situation stabilizes,” he said.