Fire Officials Concerned Winds Could Drive Wildfire Toward British Columbia Town Today
A fire behaviour specialist with the B.C. Wildfire Service has warned that Fort Nelson may face an intense wildfire on the morning of May 13 due to forecasts predicting strong winds.
In a video posted on social media on the night of May 12, Ben Boghean expressed concerns about the extreme fire behaviour, exacerbated by years of drought and below-normal snowpack this past winter, which could pose a threat to the crews battling the Parker Lake wildfire.
Mayor Rob Fraser of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, based in Fort Nelson, stated on May 12 that fire crews and emergency workers are preparing for a “last stand” in case the fire reaches the town.
The wildfire near Fort Nelson is continuing to grow, with the latest update on the night of May 12 indicating it had expanded to nearly 53 square kilometres.
The B.C. Wildfire Service reports that the blaze is currently burning just two kilometres northwest of Fort Nelson, which has already seen around 3,500 people evacuate following an evacuation order issued on May 10.
Mayor Fraser urged anyone who defied the evacuation order to leave immediately, cautioning that local resources like water pressure and electricity could diminish or be redirected to support firefighters combating the wildfire.
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On the night of May 12, the province’s minister of emergency management, Bowinn Ma, announced that to accommodate evacuees, the province is establishing an additional space with 200 rooms in Sunset Prairie, a community located 440 kilometres south of Fort Nelson.
This wildfire is just one of many out-of-control blazes in Western Canada that are threatening surrounding communities in provinces like Alberta and Manitoba.
Cliff Chapman, BC Wildfire’s director of operations, emphasized in an update video on May 12 that sustained winds could push the fire towards the community of Fort Nelson.
Other fires are also raging near Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie in Alberta, while in Manitoba, around 500 people have been evacuated from the community of Cranberry Portage, located approximately 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in northeastern Alberta has issued an alert for Fort McMurray residents to be prepared for quick evacuation, as a fire 16 kilometres southwest of the town has expanded to 55 square kilometres.
Smoke from these fires has led to air-quality alerts covering areas from B.C. to Manitoba.
Despite warnings for people in Fort McMurray to be ready to evacuate at any moment, schools in the area remained open on May 13.
Both the public and Catholic school divisions in Fort McMurray are monitoring the situation closely and acknowledge that some parents may choose not to send their children to school during this time.
Provincial achievement tests scheduled for the week have been postponed by both school divisions.
