mattsmith48
August 4th, 2017, 03:26 PM
In the Climate Change In Canada thread I mention we have a province almost entirely on fire it looks like it's gonna get worst, so here's a few updates on this.
The two largest wildfires raging in B.C.'s Interior forced two new evacuation orders on Wednesday afternoon.
The evacuation order prompted by the Elephant Hill fire — which is now over 80,000 hectares — has expanded to include an area to the southwest of Clinton, which is already under an evacuation order.
Fire information officer Heather Rice said the order, which affects over 100 properties, is connected to a controlled burn that quickly got out of hand on Tuesday.
Further north, an evacuation order prompted by the C10812 wildfire to the west of Quesnel — which is now over 35,000 hectares — has expanded to include the Tatelkuz Lake Area. Those evacuated are asked to register at the emergency reception centre at 500 North Star Road in Quesnel.
Fire crews across B.C. are bracing for an "extraordinarily" hot stretch of weather forecast to begin Thursday, which could be followed by dry lightning over the weekend.
"Until we see a significant downturn in temperatures, and certainly until we see any rain, it is only going to get drier out there," said Kevin Skrepnek, B.C.'s chief fire information officer.
With the weekend's forecast calling for thunderstorms in many parts of the province, he said the province's 3,300 fire crews are anticipating a "significant number" of new fires if lightning were to strike without rain.
There was some good news on Wednesday, as one evacuation order — for the Wildwood community just north of Williams Lake — was lifted in the early evening.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/new-evacuation-orders-in-b-c-interior-as-large-wildfires-grow-1.4233076
More than 840 fires have charred about 4,260 square kilometres in B.C. since April 1, and officials say hot, dry weather is expected to worsen conditions in the days ahead as smoke hangs over several communities.
"It creates a lot of safety issues for our aircraft," said Kevin Skrepnek with the B.C. Wildfire Service. "We can't fight what we can't see out there."
The Kamloops Airport tweeted Tuesday that smoke had forced several flights in and out of the area to be delayed or cancelled.
Environment Canada has declared the air quality in Kamloops an 8 — or high risk — on its air quality health index.
With record-breaking temperatures expected across much of the province, it will be increasingly important to ensure crews get proper hydration, nutrition and rest, Skrepnek added.
Plans are also in place in case anyone needs to be airlifted out of a fire zone due to heat-related illness, but Skrepnek said he believes that hasn't happened yet this season.
Evacuation order expanded
Around 3,700 people were fighting 138 fires across British Columbia on Tuesday. Over 6,000 people are under evacuation order.
The Cariboo Regional District issued an expanded evacuation order for the Kluskus, Blackwater and Clisbako area, which is about 100 kilometres west of Quesnel.
It's a further expansion of the order issued on Sunday, July 30.
The Cariboo Regional District also issued an expanded evacuation alert for the area south and west of Quesnel to Tatelkuz Lake. Residents are advised to be prepared to leave their premises if an order is issued.
More than 300 structures destroyed
Officials have also begun to tally up the destruction wrought by the wildfires, with some estimating more than 300 structures have been destroyed.
The lost structures include 71 homes, 116 outbuildings such as sheds and barns, and three commercial buildings, said Robert Turner with Emergency Management B.C.
Another 115 destroyed buildings have yet to be identified.
Turner said the Cariboo Regional District, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the Ashcroft Indian Band have been the hardest hit by the losses but no critical infrastructure has been destroyed.
There has also been theft of critical equipment, the province said in a news release Tuesday.
One water pump and 10 100-foot (30 metre) hoses went missing near the Harrop area, which the province says is hindering suppression efforts on the Harrop Creek widlfire, burning 10 kilometres south of the communities of Harrop and Procter.
The RCMP is asking anyone with information about the theft to contact the RCMP or B.C. Crime Stoppers.
Outside personnel to arrive
There are cuurently 761 fire personnel from outside of the province helping with the fires and another 108 firefighters and support staff from Mexico are set to join them later this week.
This marks the first time crews from that country have fought wildfires in B.C., although the Mexicans have been deployed to Alberta several times, Skrepnek said.
"They're going to be valuable assets to us, just given what we've got," he said. "There's really no relief in sight."
It's common for people in the wildfire industry to work in different jurisdictions, and British Columbia's need currently outstrips crews that are available elsewhere in Canada, he added.
"No agency can be prepared for their highest potential fire season," he said.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/thick-smoke-hinders-wildfire-fight-1.4231400
Requests from B.C. for more Canadian firefighters to help with the province's wildfire crisis are coming up short as summer temperatures rise across the country.
The B.C. Wildfire Service said Wednesday it is "running into shortages" when putting in requests for more fire crews to help battle 132 blazes burning across the province.
"We're utilizing these resources as the rest of the country is starting to steadily heat up," said Kevin Skrepnek, B.C.'s chief fire information officer.
Hundreds of firefighters from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick have already assisted local crews since mid-July.
On Tuesday, Skrepnek announced that a contingent of 108 Mexican fire personnel will arrive this week and head to the Cariboo region in the Interior to help out for the first time in B.C.
Peak of heat wave
Skrepnek said fire crews are bracing for an "extraordinarily" hot stretch of weather forecast to begin tomorrow, which could be followed by dry lightning over the weekend.
"Until we see a significant downturn in temperatures, and certainly until we see any rain, it is only going to get drier out there," he said.
Overnight, 10 fires started but given the current conditions, he called it a "surprisingly" low number.
With the weekend's forecast calling for thunderstorms in many parts of the province, he said the province's 3,300 fire crews are anticipating a "significant number" of new fires if lightning were to strike without rain.
The thick haze is another concern, he said, which makes it challenging to target flames from above ground. However, he also noted that smoke can have a "calming effect" by causing fires to be less active in some cases.
"It reflects a lot of the heat from the sun so the temperatures might not be as high as what has been forecast and it also traps a lot more moisture to the ground so that the humidity is higher, so it's not quite as dry," said Skrepnek.
Parts of the Interior have become so smoky, the air quality was rated 18 out of 10 on the Air Quality Health Index, or "very high risk."
Air quality advisories related to the wildfires have been issued by the province for much of the Interior, Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
Alerts and orders expanded
Skrepnek said the most concerning fire at the moment is the Elephant Hill fire threatening Clinton in the B.C. Interior.
It's scorched more than 84,000 hectares and is only 30 per cent contained despite the efforts of more than 500 firefighters.
On Tuesday night, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District expanded its evacuation alert around Cache Creek to include homes southwest of Clinton due to this fire.
Further north, the Cariboo Regional District issued an expanded evacuation order for the Kluskus, Blackwater and Clisbako area, which is about 100 kilometres west of Quesnel.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/requests-from-b-c-for-more-firefighters-coming-up-short-as-temperatures-rise-1.4232402
The two largest wildfires raging in B.C.'s Interior forced two new evacuation orders on Wednesday afternoon.
The evacuation order prompted by the Elephant Hill fire — which is now over 80,000 hectares — has expanded to include an area to the southwest of Clinton, which is already under an evacuation order.
Fire information officer Heather Rice said the order, which affects over 100 properties, is connected to a controlled burn that quickly got out of hand on Tuesday.
Further north, an evacuation order prompted by the C10812 wildfire to the west of Quesnel — which is now over 35,000 hectares — has expanded to include the Tatelkuz Lake Area. Those evacuated are asked to register at the emergency reception centre at 500 North Star Road in Quesnel.
Fire crews across B.C. are bracing for an "extraordinarily" hot stretch of weather forecast to begin Thursday, which could be followed by dry lightning over the weekend.
"Until we see a significant downturn in temperatures, and certainly until we see any rain, it is only going to get drier out there," said Kevin Skrepnek, B.C.'s chief fire information officer.
With the weekend's forecast calling for thunderstorms in many parts of the province, he said the province's 3,300 fire crews are anticipating a "significant number" of new fires if lightning were to strike without rain.
There was some good news on Wednesday, as one evacuation order — for the Wildwood community just north of Williams Lake — was lifted in the early evening.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/new-evacuation-orders-in-b-c-interior-as-large-wildfires-grow-1.4233076
More than 840 fires have charred about 4,260 square kilometres in B.C. since April 1, and officials say hot, dry weather is expected to worsen conditions in the days ahead as smoke hangs over several communities.
"It creates a lot of safety issues for our aircraft," said Kevin Skrepnek with the B.C. Wildfire Service. "We can't fight what we can't see out there."
The Kamloops Airport tweeted Tuesday that smoke had forced several flights in and out of the area to be delayed or cancelled.
Environment Canada has declared the air quality in Kamloops an 8 — or high risk — on its air quality health index.
With record-breaking temperatures expected across much of the province, it will be increasingly important to ensure crews get proper hydration, nutrition and rest, Skrepnek added.
Plans are also in place in case anyone needs to be airlifted out of a fire zone due to heat-related illness, but Skrepnek said he believes that hasn't happened yet this season.
Evacuation order expanded
Around 3,700 people were fighting 138 fires across British Columbia on Tuesday. Over 6,000 people are under evacuation order.
The Cariboo Regional District issued an expanded evacuation order for the Kluskus, Blackwater and Clisbako area, which is about 100 kilometres west of Quesnel.
It's a further expansion of the order issued on Sunday, July 30.
The Cariboo Regional District also issued an expanded evacuation alert for the area south and west of Quesnel to Tatelkuz Lake. Residents are advised to be prepared to leave their premises if an order is issued.
More than 300 structures destroyed
Officials have also begun to tally up the destruction wrought by the wildfires, with some estimating more than 300 structures have been destroyed.
The lost structures include 71 homes, 116 outbuildings such as sheds and barns, and three commercial buildings, said Robert Turner with Emergency Management B.C.
Another 115 destroyed buildings have yet to be identified.
Turner said the Cariboo Regional District, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the Ashcroft Indian Band have been the hardest hit by the losses but no critical infrastructure has been destroyed.
There has also been theft of critical equipment, the province said in a news release Tuesday.
One water pump and 10 100-foot (30 metre) hoses went missing near the Harrop area, which the province says is hindering suppression efforts on the Harrop Creek widlfire, burning 10 kilometres south of the communities of Harrop and Procter.
The RCMP is asking anyone with information about the theft to contact the RCMP or B.C. Crime Stoppers.
Outside personnel to arrive
There are cuurently 761 fire personnel from outside of the province helping with the fires and another 108 firefighters and support staff from Mexico are set to join them later this week.
This marks the first time crews from that country have fought wildfires in B.C., although the Mexicans have been deployed to Alberta several times, Skrepnek said.
"They're going to be valuable assets to us, just given what we've got," he said. "There's really no relief in sight."
It's common for people in the wildfire industry to work in different jurisdictions, and British Columbia's need currently outstrips crews that are available elsewhere in Canada, he added.
"No agency can be prepared for their highest potential fire season," he said.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/thick-smoke-hinders-wildfire-fight-1.4231400
Requests from B.C. for more Canadian firefighters to help with the province's wildfire crisis are coming up short as summer temperatures rise across the country.
The B.C. Wildfire Service said Wednesday it is "running into shortages" when putting in requests for more fire crews to help battle 132 blazes burning across the province.
"We're utilizing these resources as the rest of the country is starting to steadily heat up," said Kevin Skrepnek, B.C.'s chief fire information officer.
Hundreds of firefighters from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick have already assisted local crews since mid-July.
On Tuesday, Skrepnek announced that a contingent of 108 Mexican fire personnel will arrive this week and head to the Cariboo region in the Interior to help out for the first time in B.C.
Peak of heat wave
Skrepnek said fire crews are bracing for an "extraordinarily" hot stretch of weather forecast to begin tomorrow, which could be followed by dry lightning over the weekend.
"Until we see a significant downturn in temperatures, and certainly until we see any rain, it is only going to get drier out there," he said.
Overnight, 10 fires started but given the current conditions, he called it a "surprisingly" low number.
With the weekend's forecast calling for thunderstorms in many parts of the province, he said the province's 3,300 fire crews are anticipating a "significant number" of new fires if lightning were to strike without rain.
The thick haze is another concern, he said, which makes it challenging to target flames from above ground. However, he also noted that smoke can have a "calming effect" by causing fires to be less active in some cases.
"It reflects a lot of the heat from the sun so the temperatures might not be as high as what has been forecast and it also traps a lot more moisture to the ground so that the humidity is higher, so it's not quite as dry," said Skrepnek.
Parts of the Interior have become so smoky, the air quality was rated 18 out of 10 on the Air Quality Health Index, or "very high risk."
Air quality advisories related to the wildfires have been issued by the province for much of the Interior, Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
Alerts and orders expanded
Skrepnek said the most concerning fire at the moment is the Elephant Hill fire threatening Clinton in the B.C. Interior.
It's scorched more than 84,000 hectares and is only 30 per cent contained despite the efforts of more than 500 firefighters.
On Tuesday night, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District expanded its evacuation alert around Cache Creek to include homes southwest of Clinton due to this fire.
Further north, the Cariboo Regional District issued an expanded evacuation order for the Kluskus, Blackwater and Clisbako area, which is about 100 kilometres west of Quesnel.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/requests-from-b-c-for-more-firefighters-coming-up-short-as-temperatures-rise-1.4232402