Evacuations, smoke and telecom disruptions from fires in BC, Alberta

Article content

The wildfire that forced thousands to evacuate from a northeast British Columbia town doubled in size early Saturday and is now burning merely a few kilometers west of the city limits.

The BC Wildfire Service said the Parker Lake fire near Fort Nelson, BC, reached almost 17 square kilometers in size overnight, up from the eight square kilometers reported late Friday.

Article content

Article content

It also knocked out 911 service and disrupted telecommunications in Yukon and Northern BC, with officials in the territory asking Whitehorse residents needing help to go directly to the local RCMP detachment, fire halls or ambulances stationed throughout the city.

An update from the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality says the fire situation “remains volatile and fast-moving.” Officials urged any remaining residents of Fort Nelson to evacuate, noting one remaining 44-seat bus is still receiving passengers who have no other means of leaving.

The Parker Lake wildfire has forced the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and Fort Nelson First Nations to order evacuations in the area, with the region’s roughly 3,000 residents told to flee to Fort St. John some 380 kilometers to the southeast on Friday.

The municipality’s update said those with the means to travel further are urged to go another 440 kilometers south to Prince George, BC, where a reception center has been opened for people fleeing Fort Nelson.

Article content

Article content

Environment Canada said smoke from the blaze has pushed across northeastern BC and into parts of Alberta. Edmonton is under an air quality advisory, with hazard levels rated at 10-plus — or “very high risk” — forecast throughout the day.

Meteorologist Heather Rombough said most of the smoke blanketing the city is from the BC wildfire, and residents should stay indoors or at least avoid strenuous activity outside until air quality improves.

The Parker Lake blaze was discovered Friday with an initial reported size of half a square kilometer at 5:25 pm But the wildfire grew quickly to four square kilometers by 6:30 pm and has continued to grow since.

Fort Nelson is located in the far northeastern corner of BC about 1,600 kilometers from Vancouver.

The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze is suspected to be caused by human activity, adding the fire was “highly visible” from Fort Nelson.

Environment Canada is not forecasting rain in the area until Wednesday evening and is predicting only a 60 per cent chance of showers for that night and Thursday.

“It doesn’t look like there’s going to be a lot of precipitation through that area for the next couple of days at least, unfortunately,” Rombough said. “By early next week there might be a little bit, but really nothing significant.”

Article content

Meanwhile, to the east, thousands of residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., and the nearby community of Saprae Creek remain on an evacuation alert as an out-of-control wildfire burns south of the city, but municipal officials say in their latest update that winds on Saturday appear to be pushing the flames further south.

Alberta Wildfire says the blaze, which is about 10 square kilometers in size, remains out-of-control around 16 kilometers southwest of Fort McMurray, and fire activity is expected to pick up as winds increase into Saturday afternoon.

But an online update from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo notes the winds are pushing the fire east-southeast, although temperatures are rising and people should still be ready to flee on short notice. The update notes that Highway 63, the main route from Fort McMurray to the south, remains open.

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.

Article content