Wildfire evacuation order near Spences Bridge as new heat warnings issued across B.C.

The Cook’s Ferry Indian Band has issued an evacuation order north of Spences Bridge due to a pair of out-of-control wildfires burning in the B.C. Interior.

The evacuation comes as new heat warnings are posted across B.C., which could fuel the growth of new and existing fires, said officials.

In a post on the band’s Facebook page, Chief Christine Walkem said the evacuation order applies to Reserve #6 — Nicoelton.

The post states the order was issued due to the “imminent danger” of two wildfires burning out of control — K70910 (Shetland Creek) and K70913 (Teit Creek) burning 7.5 kilometres and 5.5 kilometres north of Spences Bridge, respectively.

Cook’s Ferry Indian Band Fire Chief Steven Sherwood said the evacuation order does not affect any community members and has been issued solely for livestock in the area, which is a licensed grazing zone.

“It doesn’t have any residential buildings on it and there are no community members at this time that do reside on [Reserve #6],” he told CBC News.

“Livestock there is a dire importance to the band and the communities here at Cook’s Ferry.”

According to Sherwood, a corresponding alert is in place for reserves IR#4, 5A and 19 Firstly. The fire chief said the exact number of homes affected by the alert is unknown at the moment, but estimates the impact to be fewer than five residences.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says the fires are each about 2.5 square kilometres in size and are believed to have been sparked by lightning.

The wildfire service said Monday that it was assessing the best response to the wildfires, balancing the ecological benefits associated with letting them burn while minimizing potential damage — the response method used when properties and infrastructure are not under immediate threat.

The service also noted that one of the fires — Teit Creek — is on “an extremely steep slope, with no road or safe access route,” making it difficult for crews to respond. 

It also warned high temperatures and dry fuels were likely to accelerate the fires’ rate of spread.

Wildfire along Highway 1 in B.C.’s Fraser Valley now ‘held’

Meanwhile, a wildfire that flared up along the Trans-Canada Highway between Chilliwack and Hope is now classified as “being held” and isn’t expected to spread beyond its boundaries.

The one-hectare blaze had forced the closure of an eastbound lane on Monday.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says human activity is the suspected cause, a categorization given to all fires that are not sparked by lightning.

It’s one of more than 150 wildfires active in the province, with clusters in the northeast and the central Interior.

Of B.C.’s current fires, more than half are considered under control, while 37 per cent are out of control and 10 per cent are classified as being held.

Among the other fires is R50969, about 20 kilometres north of Terrace in northwest B.C. The fire is just south of Kitsumkalum Provincial Park and about 800 metres from Highway 113, with a large column of smoke highly visible to surrounding communities, the service says.

People have been evacuated from the park and a nearby recreational site in response.

Nearly 730 firefighting personnel have been deployed across B.C., with crews from Australia and New Zealand expected to arrive on Friday as hot and dry conditions persist in parts of the province.

Environment Canada has maintained heat warnings for many parts of the southern Interior, covering the Fraser Canyon, Okanagan Valley, Williams Lake, Kootenay Lake and Cranbrook areas.

It has also issued heat warnings for the Cariboo region including Quesnel and Prince George in the central Interior, the Peace River and Fort Nelson areas in the northeast and inland sections of the North Coast, including Kitimat, as well as the Howe Sound and Whistler regions in the southwest.

Daytime highs in the 30s are expected to continue through this week.