Fast-growing wildfire may hit Fort Nelson, B.C., today, officials say
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The Parker Lake wildfire near Fort Nelson, B.C., has grown in size to nearly 53 square kilometres on Sunday evening. Officials are warning that winds are likely to push the fire toward Fort Nelson on Sunday and Monday. Res‐ idents who did not evacu‐ ate have been told there will be no help available af‐ ter noon Sunday. Those who cannot drive are urged to call 250-775-0933 for sup‐ port. For emergencies, dial 911.
Officials say the Parker Lake wildfire may hit the town of Fort Nelson in north‐ eastern British Columbia on Monday morning, after it more than doubled in size on Sunday.
Fire behaviour specialist Ben Boghean of the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said in a Sunday evening update that the blaze was threaten‐ ing structures along the Alas‐ ka Highway west of Fort Nel‐ son as of 3 p.m. PT Sunday.
He said winds are antici‐ pated to increase Sunday evening and will remain ele‐ vated on Monday, with gusts up to 20 km/h.
"Our current fire behavi‐ our projections show the community of Fort Nelson may be impacted during the morning of May 13th," said Boghean.
Boghean said the fire is forecast to move along High‐ way 97 and toward the Fort Nelson First Nation and Muskwa area throughout the day on Monday, and is esti‐ mated to hit that area by 6 p.m. PT.
As of Sunday afternoon, the blaze was burning 2.5 kilometres west of the town, according to the BCWS.
The wildfire, which offi‐ cials say was sparked by a downed tree on Friday evening, has resulted in an evacuation order being is‐ sued for the entire commu‐ nity of about 3,400 people, as well as the nearby Fort Nel‐ son First Nation with a popu‐ lation of about 400 people.
The First Nation has is‐ sued an expanded evacua‐ tion order covering one home and "many cultural sites" on Sunday.
In a joint statement on Saturday, NRRM and Fort Nelson First Nation said peo‐ ple staying behind despite the evacuation orders should be aware that "emergency medical services are not available, nor are groceries or other amenities."
WATCH | No help avail‐ able for those who choose to stay:
Cliff Chapman, B.C. Wild‐ fire Service's director of provincial operations, said Sunday evening people should avoid travel around the Fort Nelson area, noting highways in the area are closed and will likely remain closed for at least the next 48 hours.
"If you are still in Fort Nel‐ son, or anywhere in the evac‐ uation order of the Parker Lake wildfire, I encourage you to leave," said Chapman.
"The fuels are as dry as we have ever seen. The wind is going to be sustained, and it is going to push the fire to‐ ward the community. Escape routes may be compromised and visibility will be poor as the fire continues to grow."
WATCH | Fort Nelson fire burning near highway:
Rob Fraser, mayor of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM), told The Canadian Press on Sunday afternoon that there were about 37 households in Fort Nelson and another 28 in the surrounding rural area that have not heeded an order to evacuate, totalling between 100 and 150 people.
The municipality has relo‐ cated its emergency opera‐ tions centre south of town, and it said the final buses out of the community would be leaving at noon on Sunday, at which point no further help would be available.
WATCH | Evacuees de‐ scribe hours-long drive af‐ ter leaving Fort Nelson:
According to the BCWS, the fire grew from 17 square kilometres in size on Satur‐ day to about 41 square kilo‐ metres as of Sunday after‐ noon.
Boghean says winds are expected to calm on Tuesday, but the fire threat will remain until the region sees rainfall.
Fort Nelson is located near B.C.'s border with Yukon, about 800 kilometres north of Prince George.
Evacuees told to head
south
Those fleeing the fire had to drive for nearly six hours south to Fort St. John - about 380 kilometres southeast of Fort Nelson.
Officials are urging any‐ one with the means to travel further to go another 440 kilometres south to Prince George, B.C., where a recep‐ tion centre has been opened.
Those needing trans‐ portation are advised to call 250-775-0933, and the dis‐ trict says evacuees should register on the Evacuee Reg‐ istration and Assistance web‐ site at ess.gov.bc.ca.
Rena Moore is one of the few people who stayed be‐ hind in Fort Nelson on Sun‐ day, as her husband's hotel is housing dozens of wildfire fighters responding to the blaze.
"If some of us weren't here to help, feeding them ... they're not going to be able to fight for our community," she told CBC News.
When the fire broke out, Moore was with her family to the northwest of it at Liard Hot Springs. She captured video of the blaze burning the forest along the highway on her way back to Fort Nel‐ son.
WATCH | Fire breaks out near Fort Nelson:
"You try to stay indoors just so that it's not affecting your breathing and stuff," she said on Sunday. "But ... you see the haze through the trees. You hear the heli‐ copters, and you see the planes flying."
Moore said she hoped no‐ body would ever have to go through a wildfire evacuation as her community did - but she praised many northeast B.C. communities, like Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Chetwynd, for housing evac‐ uees and being open amid a time of crisis.