(UPDATE: July 10th @ 6:08 p.m.) - According to the BC Wildfire Service, there are currently 136 active fires that are over 0.1 hectares in size and more than 323 total wildfires.
KelownaNow is updating the following fires Ashcroft, Princeton and Gustafsen wildfires. You can click here for the list of all active fires within BC.
(UPDATE: July 10th @ 3:08 p.m.) - Thousands are left without power because of damage to BC Hydro’s electrical infrastructure.
Numbers are expected to rise, but there is currently damage to approximately 170 power poles, 95 cross-arms, 90 spans of wire, and 30 transformers.
There are approximately 7,000 customers without power in Williams Lake and 100 Mile House. BC Hydro is restoring power where possible. Power to some customers in Cache Creek and Ashcroft has been restored.
Click here for updates on power restoration from BC Hydro.
(UPDATE: July 10th @ 9:45 a.m.) - B.C. continues to face a number of dangerous wildfires around the province.
According to the BC Wildfire Service, there are currently 132 active fires that are over 0.1 hectares in size and more than 200 total wildfires.
KelownaNow is updating the following fires Ashcroft, Princeton and Gustafsen wildfires. You can click here for the list of all active fires within BC.
(UPDATE: July 8th @ 4:50 p.m.)
The Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, John Rustad, held a media teleconference call on Saturday in order to provide an update on the Provincial the State of Emergency that was declared Friday night.
Currently approximately 3000 residences have been evacuated. Evacuees have been sent to Kamloops, Williams Lake and Prince George.
At this time, the primary goal is saving people and secondary is infrastructure and homes.
Industrial operations in the Cariboo area have been suspended for now.
Currently there are 1000 front line firefighters with more than 250 contractors fighting fires in B.C. The Province expects to add more contractors over the next few days.
An estimated 260 additional firefighters are scheduled to come in from other parts of Canada by Monday or Tuesday to assist.
Some municipal firefighters and/or equipment have been deployed.
The military has not been asked to assist yet. When asked why the military has not been asked to attend yet, the Province said this situation is under assessment.
The number of homes lost remains unknown. However it was stated that the 108 Mile area has experienced a significant number of homes lost.
Raw video from Kevin Skrepnek, Chief Fire Information Officer for the BC Wildfire Service
Interior Health (IH) has established a call line for families whose loved ones have been relocated from health facilities due to wildfire activity in the Cariboo and Thompson-Nicola regions.
Residential care and assisted living clients, and hospital patients, have been or are being moved from facilities in Ashcroft, 100 Mile House and Williams Lake.
Due to the high number of individuals needing to be transferred to other communities and in such a short period of time, Interior Health has not been able to contact all families.
Therefore, family members can call the IH Patient Care Quality Office (PCQO) for information about a relative who may have been relocated.
The toll-free number is 1-877-442-2001. IH staff will respond to calls as soon as possible. Individuals can also email IH at: patient.concerns@interiorhealth.ca.
Several agencies are collaborating to ensure the safe transfer of patients to temporary accommodations.
For the latest updates on safe transfers, visit IH's website.
A provincial State of Emergency for B.C. has been issued after 138 fires confirmed on July 7th, 2017. The last time a provincial state of emergency was declared was in August 2003 to deal with wildfires.
138 confirmed #BCwildfire starts today. Evac orders/alerts in place in central interior. More updates to begin tomorrow at 08:00 hrs. pic.twitter.com/o7X4ua15qx
— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) July 8, 2017
Interior Health, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, BC Wildfire Services and other emergency services are working together to control the fire and ensure residents in B.C. are safe.
Several major highways have been closed at this time.
Check @DriveBC for latest #AshcroftBC travel info. #BCWildfire impacting highways into the community pic.twitter.com/ETm0GxM3L1
— BC Transportation (@TranBC) July 7, 2017
We are currently updating stories on the following fires:
100 Mile House (Gustafsen) wildfire
More interface fires, or "Fires of Note" have grown or started over the course of Saturday.
To view the Fires of Note, go to BC Wildfire's interface map.
(Original: July 8th @ 8:30 a.m.)
The following roads are closed in the BC Interior due to the wildfires.
Highway 5A is closed in both directions. Closures at Aspen Grove and near Princeton.
Highway 1 westbound at Savona.
Highway 1 Both directions - Closed in both directions from Ashcroft to Cache Creek (9.4 km) because of Forest Fire.
Highway 1 Both directions - Closed in both directions 10 km west of Cache Creek to 5 km east of Cache Creek (15 km) because of Forest Fire. Alternate route via Hwy 99 to Hwy 12 to Lytton.
Highway 97 Both directions - Closed in both directions at Junction with Highway 99 because of Forest Fire. No detour available. Alternate route via Hwy 1/97 Cache Creek to Kamloops, Hwy 5 to Little Fort, Hwy 24 to 93 Mile on Hwy 97.
Highway 97C Westbound - Closed from Logan Lake to Ashcroft because of Forest Fire. Local traffic only, until further notice. Watch for traffic control.
Highway 97 Both directions - Closed in both directions from Junction with Highway 1, at Cache Creek to Clinton (38.8 km) because of Forest Fire. Alternate route via Hwy 99 to Hwy 12 to Lytton.
Highway 97 Both directions - Closed in both directions 2 km north of 100 Mile House to 17 kilometres north of Lac La Hache (39.5 km) because of Forest Fire. No detour available. No estimated time of opening.
Highway 97 Both directions - Closed in both directions 15 km south of Quesnel because of Forest Fire. Alternate route available via Hwy 16 through Prince George to Tete Jaune Cache then Hwy 5 to Kamloops. Road closure is for Southbound lanes ONLY, Northbound lanes are open.
Highway 20 Both directions - Closed in both directions 14 km east of Alexis Creek at Anahim Flat Reserve to 30 km east of Alexis Creek at the top of Lee's Hill (16 km) because of Forest Fire.
Visit DriveBC.ca for current status of BC highways.
Patients from various Interior Health facilities in B.C. are also being evacuated based on the location and on the acute care needs of the patient.
The following health care centres are being evacuated due to the wildfires.
Our thoughts are with our IH colleagues and all those whose personal situations have been impacted by the #bcwildfires.
— Interior Health (@Interior_Health) July 8, 2017
The Ashcroft Hospital and Health Centre is closed, along with the Emergency Department.
Ashcroft residential care clients at Jackson House and assisted living clients at Thompson View Lodge are being relocated to Merritt.
In the event of an emergency, residents are to call 9-1-1, or visit the Emergency Department at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Centre in Merritt.
Interior Health is no longer redirecting patients to Lillooet or Lytton.
The following units from 100 Mile House have been evacuated, including acute care patients from 100 Mile District General Hospital, residents from Interior Health’s two residential care sites, Mill Site Lodge and Fischer Place, and assisted living clients from Interior Health’s Carefree Manor - have all been evacuated.
However, the Emergency Department remains open at this time.
There are no evacuations in Kamloops, Salmon Arm or Merritt at this time. Acute care patients are being transferred to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, as well as residential care and assisted living clients to facilities in Kamloops, Salmon Arm and Merritt.
Interior Health staff are assessing individuals based on their needs and determining the best place to relocate. Some are being placed with family, depending on the situation.
Message from the Red Cross
As part of the Province's 2012 agreement, the Canadian Red Cross is providing registration services to those displaced by wildfires in the province.
However, anyone requiring immediate assistance with accommodations, food, medical or prescription support, will still need to seek support at local emergency social services reception centres.
The Province of British Columbia strongly encourages all evacuees to register with the Canadian Red Cross, even if aid is not required. Registering will allow family and friends to know the whereabouts of loved ones and that they are safe. It also allows the Canadian Red Cross to contact people directly as more information and assistance becomes available.
To register, please contact the Canadian Red Cross at 1 800 863-6582 or online at: http://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/current-emergency-responses
Given the current wildfire situation, the Province declared a provincial state of emergency on July 7, 2017, to allow B.C. to bring in additional resources when and as needed to ensure public safety and protect key infrastructure.
This video is also showing the wildfire in Williams Lake on Friday, looking southbound Highway 97, just five minutes from the city centre.
This photo shows the wildfire near 100 Mile House from the water.
Insane #wildfire outside #100milehouse in BC #canada. one of the strangest things I've seen! #cariboo #forestfire #fire #paddleboarding pic.twitter.com/WtLSpgdpyf
— Andy Witteman (@CNLastro) July 7, 2017
The following video shows the Ashcroft wildfire on July 7th. You'll want to keep you volume low for this one.
A shot of the flames coming through Williams Lake.
A chopper heads up near the Williams Lake Airport.
From the Okanagan, the clouds of smoke are visible as the winds continue to change and move the wildfire along.
#PrincetonBC fire getting closer. #wildfire #okanagan pic.twitter.com/pFYXYQ8I2E
— Charlene Chiang (@charlenechiang) July 8, 2017
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