More help on way to B.C. wildfires

NEWS/ WILDFIRES — B.C. has put out a call for more help from outside the province to fight a rash of wildfires.

Seventy more fire personnel will join B.C. crews battling fires all over the province. A 14-member incident management team arrived from Alberta Monday, and was deployed to the Red Deer Creek fire 61 kilometres southeast of Tumbler Ridge.

Fifty-five additional personnel were scheduled to arrive Wednesday from Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec. They comprise three incident management teams and other crew.

Twenty-one Ontario fire personnel arrived Sunday.

The help arrives as the entire municipality of Hudson’s Hope and the area south and west of it is being evacuated due to the giant Mt. McAllister fire. A local state of emergency has been declared.

Hudson’s Hope has a population of 1,100.

The fire is estimated at 20,000 hectares and growing. The only good news Wednesday was that fire growth has been minimal compared to Tuesday, but the wildfire branch reported just before 6 p.m. that winds were starting to pick up.

The intense level of fire behaviour has not allowed for any direct suppression of the fire. Personnel on the ground are assessing indirect methods of managing the fire’s spread. An Incident management team will arrive in Chetwynd today to assist in command and coordination for the fire.

The Peace River Regional District also issued an evacuation alert for residents in the community of Moberly Lake and surrounding area.

Closer to home, the Maka-Murray fire near the old Coquihalla toll booth grew to 150 hectares today and property owners there remain under an evacuation alert.

The Apex Mountain fire west of Penticton was still at 100 hectares.

Hot and dry weather conditions have elevated the fire danger rating throughout the province and most of B.C. is currently experiencing a “high” to “extreme” fire danger rating. Firefighting crews are on standby in all six of B.C.’s fire centres in preparation for increased fire starts.

Heavy haze continued to build over the Kamloops area Wednesday as smoke drifted in from the fires to the north.

The Wildfire Management Branch has responded to 573 wildfires so far this season. There are 12 active fires “of note” burning within the boundaries of the Prince George, Kamloops, Cariboo and Northwest fire centres. Most were caused by lightning.