Western Canada Continues to Battle Wildfires as BC Town Prepares for Strong Winds
The mayor of a northeast British Columbia municipality where thousands have already evacuated says his community is bracing for a “last stand” as high winds are expected to push a nearby wildfire directly toward the town.
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Mayor Rob Fraser says there are about 37 households in Fort Nelson, B.C. and another 28 in the surrounding rural area which have not heeded an order to evacuate, totalling between 100 and 150 people.
Mr. Fraser is urging those residents to leave immediately, as Sunday evening’s forecast calls for stronger westerly winds that would push the Parker Lake wildfire just west of Fort Nelson into the town itself.
The wildfire, measured at 25 square kilometres in size, has moved to two or three kilometres away from Fort Nelson proper, and Mr. Fraser says crews and emergency workers are doing all they can to prepare in case the fire reaches town.
The wildfire threat facing Fort Nelson is just one of several out-of-control blazes across Western Canada, with fires also burning near communities in Alberta such as Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie. There is also an active wildfire near Flin Flon, Man., some 760 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.
The latest bulletin from the Manitoba government says that blaze has grown exponentially from 30 square kilometres Saturday to its current size of 350 square kilometres, fed by windy conditions and extreme fire activity. The province says the community of Cranberry Portage, Man., 46 kilometres southeast of Flin Flon, is being evacuated.
Related Stories
“Approximately 500 residents are affected at this time, but that number may increase as conditions change,” the province’s statement reads.
… (content continues) …
