John Rustad, Minister of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations, and Todd Stone, Minister Responsible for Emergency Management BC, along with emergency response officials, have provided an update on the current wildfire situation in B.C.

Recap on active fires

To recap, there are 27 fires of note burning across that province at this time, 15 of which are considered to be threatening structures.

They provided updates on the noteworthy fires burning in the interior including Ashcroft, Princeton, Gustafsen, and Williams Lake.

Rustad reports that today there are approximately 2,900 people working on fires, including 415 from out of province, and about 928 contractors. There are also 203 aircraft supporting ground crew in addition to hundreds of other pieces of equipment.

They also commented on the circumstances of the EC-130 helicopter crash near Williams Lake on Saturday, July 15th, and the current state of the pilot.

“As we all know, fires can be very volatile, very unpredictable, and very dangerous business,” says Rustad. “It's a reminder for everybody to be careful out there fighting the fires.”

The pilot was injured in a crash in Chilcotin while working on fires in the Hanceville area west of Williams Lake but is currently in stable condition.

Resources for evacuees

Current plans for resources through funding have been released, including details on a fund that will benefit evacuees of affected areas.

That funding is currently estimated at more than $1.8 million. The Canadian Red Cross has now registered 6,765 households, which is approximately 17,000 people.

Payments have gone out to 5,471 of the families that are registered. 

“The government of B.C. is obviously very committed to continuing support for the Wildfire effort. That includes supporting communities and their residents who have faced evacuations,” says Stone. “The $1.8 million fund provides evacuees with just a little bit of additional financial assistance to help them get through this very difficult time.”

The City of Kamloops is trying its best to continue to accommodate evacuees although according to Stone, resources are close to becoming stretched.

They will do whatever is necessary to continue in their efforts to offer support to the many evacuees, none of which will be turned away.  

Most of the current evacuees are coming out of Williams Lake, which is the largest area that is being evacuated with a population of more than 10,000 people.

Plan of action

KelownaNow asked if cities should start removing fuel bordering them in order to limit the spread of fires. Rustad responded by referencing the Canadian Wild Lands Fire Strategy, which he says may give them that opportunity. 

“We have been doing a lot of work in B.C. around the interface areas between communities," he says. "We're hoping through the strategy that was developed with the Federal Government that there will be some opportunities to renew those efforts. It’s not just a matter or removing fuel but changing the composition of forests so they are more fire resilient.”

The province is already at over $80 million in costs associated with fighting the many fires in B.C., and we are still only at the beginning of the fire season. Rustad says that they will continue to fight the fires, spending whatever it takes to keep people safe.

There will be an ongoing risk of fire due to the hot and dry temperatures throughout the rest of the summer, and it being only the front-end of the fire season, the challenges posed by weather conditions may prolong the current situation.

Rustad also noted that If there is anything we can learn from the incident yesterday in Lake Country, it’s  how fast a fire can start, spread and pose a significant risk to a community.

People are advised to be vigilant and be prepared to evacuate without the benefit of advanced notice.