Cariboo RD EOC Update - Sept 7th, 2018

Courtesy of the Cariboo RD's Emergency Operations Centre:

CAMPFIRE BAN

The Cariboo Fire Centre announced at noon today that campfires are now allowed throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. Category 2 and Category 3 prohibitions remain in effect. Visit gov.bc.ca/wildfirebans for information on what remains prohibited.

PHONE LINE CLOSED

Our emergency information line is closed until further notice. For information about wildfires or fire bans in the Cariboo Fire Centre, please call them directly at 778-799-2100. For Cariboo Regional District inquiries, please visit cariboord.ca or call our office at 250-392-3351 or toll free at 1-800-665-1636.

STRUCTURE LOSS

We are happy to report we are not aware of any home losses related to the 2018 fires in our region. Reported losses are only outbuildings or cabins, with only three impacted at this time. We will update as new information becomes available.

EVACUATION ORDERS AND ALERTS 

Currently there are three evacuation orders in the Cariboo Regional District impacting 114 properties and five evacuation alerts impacting 465 properties.

The CRD is in regular contact with the BC Wildfire Service to evaluate the current evacuation alerts and orders and will lift them when it is safe to do so, based on recommendations from the BC Wildfire Service.

Current Evacuation Orders

Tweedsmuir Park Area Evacuation Order

• Modified on Aug. 29 @ 12:30pm
• Impacts 53 properties
• Due to the Tweedsmuir Park fires

Shag Creek Area Evacuation Order

• Modified on Aug. 29 @ 12:30pm
• Impacts 47 properties
• Due to the Shag Creek fire (C11837)

Klinaklini Lake Area Evacuation Order

• Issued Aug. 20 @ 10:00 a.m.
• Impacts 14 properties
• Due to fire V92348 (which has also merged with V92268)

Current Evacuation Alerts

Baezaeko Blackwater Area Evacuation Alert

• Modified on Sept. 5 @ 4pm
• Impacts 322 properties
• Due to the North Baezaeko (C11937) and Blackwater River (C12328) fires

Chutanli Lake Area Evacuation Alert

• Downgraded to an Evacuation Alert on Sept. 5 @ 4pm
• Impacts 45 properties
• Due to the Chutanli Lake fire (G41607)

Whitton Lake Evacuation Alert

• Downgraded to an Evacuation Alert on Sept. 4 @ 2:15pm
• Impacts 6 properties
• Due to Wilderness Lake fire (C52646)

Tatelkuz Lake Area Evacuation Alert

• Modified on Aug. 29 @ 12:30pm
• Impacts 36 properties
• Due to the Chutanli Lake fire (G41607)

Dean River Valley Area Evacuation Alert

• Modified on Aug. 29 @ 12:30pm
• Impacts 56 properties
• Due to the Dean River Fire (VA1964)

WILDFIRE UPDATES

There are currently 37 active wildfires within the Cariboo Fire Centre. A total of 12 fires have been called out since Tuesday.

The fire danger rating is ‘low’ with pockets of ‘moderate’ in the eastern portion of the fire centre and is a mix of ‘moderate,’ ‘high’ and ‘low’ in the western portions. The BC Wildfire Service website displays the current fire danger rating for the province here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/wildfire-situation/fire-danger

Yesterday, there was no rain or lightning recorded in the fire centre. Today will be partly cloudy and scattered showers in the eastern sections of the fire centre, with isolated showers in the western portion. Temperatures are expected to range from 16 to 20 degrees Celsius.

Summary of Wildfires of Note

There are currently five Wildfires of Note affecting the Cariboo Regional District; one in the Cariboo Fire Centre, one in the Coastal Fire Centre and one in the Prince George Fire Centre. Up to date information on the Wildfire of Note can be found at www.bcwildfire.ca.

• Chutanli Lake
• Tweedsmuir Complex (detailed update below)
• Shag Creek
• Blackwater River
• North Baezaeko

Summary of Other Wildfires 

Below is a summary of other active fires in the Cariboo Fire Centre, by zone, as of first thing this morning. Within this summary, only fires that are over four hectares and are in Out of Control status will be highlighted. For current sizes on wildfires not listed below, please check the All Current Wildfires web page.

Quesnel Fire Zone

There are seven active wildfires burning in this zone. Two are Being Held, two are Under Control and three fires are in Out of Control status.

Central Fire Zone 

There are 20 active wildfires burning in this zone. Eleven have been called out since Tuesday. Five fires are Being Held, four are Under Control, and no fires are in Out of Control status.

100 Mile Zone

There are 13 active fires. Six are Under Control, six are Being Held and one is Out of Control status.

1. The fire near Jonah Lake is mapped at 92 hectares. This fire is a Modified Response fire and is being monitored closely by the BC Wildfire Service.

Chilcotin Zone

The Chilcotin Fire Zone currently has seven active wildfires. Four fires are Out of Control and three fires are in Under Control status.

1. The Bald Face fire is estimated at 10,687 hectares. This fire is burning in high elevation and is being monitored by BC Wildfire Service. 

Tweedsmuir Complex Update

Many of the fires produced smoke within the existing perimeters as fuels that had not burned in the past days continued to burn. Inflow and a stable air mass resulted in smoke settling into many of the valleys and drifting from place to place. The smoke movement the public is seeing is a result of the weather pattern, not an increase in fire growth or activity, this should be clearing soon as winds pick up. Observed fire activity along the edge and within pockets of unburned fuel indicates that the fires are primarily rank 1 and rank 2 which means a smouldering ground or creeping surface fire up to a low vigour surface fire. There were no significant runs or growth on any of the fires toward values during this period.

The incoming weather system today is bringing increasing cloud, cooler conditions and increasing winds. There is a chance of showers or rain over the weekend and we expect the precipitation in the Tweedsmuir area to be scattered rather than even, and less than that on the coast. However, overall, we expect fire behaviour to lessen due to the cool temperatures and higher Relative Humidity in the air.

Tweedsmuir Complex

The complex as a whole is estimated to be a total area of 301,549 hectares of wildfire.

The total number of resources within this area are: 5 single resources, 2 Initial Attack Crews (two crews of three, a total of 6 fire fighters), 3 Helicopters, I contract crew (5 fire fighters), medic and driver, 1 falling pair consisting of one Danger Tree Assessor/Faller, and one Danger Tree Faller and 7 pieces of heavy equipment.

Tweedsmuir Fires: VA1964 Dean River, VA1787 Ramsey Creek, R12315 Tesla Lake, R12068 Pandosy Bay

Total area of fires: 270,202 ha

Crews are making progress on completing a 12 km guard near Gatcho Lake. As fuels are still dry and quite receptive there is still the occasional spot but they are being handled by crew and equipment with no difficulty.  All other values are being monitored daily, poor visibility restricted access into some values yesterday.

A guard continues to be constructed in the Upper Dean River to secure properties. The remainder of the properties impacted by these fires are being monitored and Structural Protection equipment is being maintained.

Klinaklini Fires: V92348 Klinaklini Lake, V91119 Monarch Mountain, C52646 Wilderness Lake

Total area of fires: 31,347 ha (up from 29,049 ha yesterday)

Properties on Klinaklini Lake, Wilderness Lake and Whitton Lake remain intact. Fire is being monitored in these areas. Structural Protection has been installed where appropriate.

The BC Wildfire Service will continue to monitor all fires in the area and ensure that people affected are informed.