District of Wells and Barkerville Area under evacuation order as B.C. heat wave fans wildfires
CBC
The Cariboo Regional District Emergency Operations Centre issued an evacuation order at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday due to the rapid growth of the Antler Creek wildfire between Saturday and that time.
The emergency order encompasses 431 parcels in the Barkerville Area, covering 62,488 hectares, including the historic Barkerville town — the largest living history museum in western North America.
Earlier on Sunday, the District of Wells also declared a state of local emergency for the entire district, which is about 180 kilometres southeast of Prince George. Residents must evacuate immediately, the order says.
In the order signed by Mayor Ed Colemon, the wildfire is described as a "significant threat" to the health, safety and welfare of the community.
Local police and other agencies are coordinating the evacuation process, according to the order.
Coleman told CBC News that about 1,000 people are impacted by the order, including 218 Wells residents, roughly 600 tourists visiting the Barkerville historic site and Bowron Lake, as well as around 100 workers from the mines in the area.
The mayor says the fire is about five kilometres from Barkerville.
Read the previous story below.
Several lightning-triggered wildfires have forced authorities in B.C. to issue evacuation orders as the province's southern and eastern regions swelter in a heat wave.
The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the Island Pond fire about 17 kilometres south of Canal Flats, B.C., in the East Kootenay in the province's southeast corner, was discovered Saturday. It grew to 1.2 square kilometres overnight.
The Regional District of East Kootenay has declared a state of local emergency and issued an evacuation order for two addresses as a result, and has also warned another 65 properties to be prepared to leave on short notice.
Meanwhile, the Cariboo Regional District in central B.C. has ordered residents on 29 parcels of land in the Kuyakuz Lake area to evacuate immediately, with five out-of-control wildfires burning nearby — four of which were confirmed to be lightning-caused.
An accompanying evacuation alert was also issued for 33 parcels of land in the Tatelkuz Lake area, with the area close to the Kluskus First Nation reserve.
In the north, a large area just east of McBride, B.C., has been placed on evacuation alert, which covers an area just north of Highway 16.