BC Wildfire Service says Sunday evening that 225 wildfires including the Gustafson wildfire west of 100 Mile House were burning across B.C., as well as 27 new fire starts from the day.
Mayor Mitch Campsall of 100 Mile House called the Evacuation Order the hardest decision he’s ever made, but one he had to make.
We spoke to Campsall Sunday night during the evacuation of the District of 100 Mile House…
“Up to the time that we called it out that we were doing very well. The fire jumped the fire break very unexpectedly and we had no choice then to call an evacuation just for the safety of our citizens and we’ve done that with their safety in mind.”
Roughly 2,000 residents are now temporarily displaced.
Most will likely end up in Prince George at the Emergency Evacuation Centre that has been set up.
Mayor of Prince George Lyn Hall said Monday morning that over 800 people have registered for the City’s evacuation center.
He says 2 more facilities will be opening their doors to the displaced residents of 100 Mile House.
“UNBC was one of the centers that I was referring to was referring to. We’re opening at up an evacuation centre at PGSS (Prince George Secondary School). We’re anticipating upwards of 600 people coming from 100 Mile House so those folks are on the way and they could have very easily arrived in the middle of the night.”
The City of Prince George is fully stocked with supplies for now.
Cariboo Regional District Al Richmond says Monday morning there is an evacuation alert, not an order, in place right now for the Forest Grove/Canim Lake area.
“So we have extended an alert for to the area extending from Timothy Lake Road between Timothy Lake/Green Lake and down to Eagle Creek so one end of Canim Lake for an alert. Not an evacuation order but an alert so people can prepare to get their important papers and belongings ready in case there is a need to evacuate.”
Richmond says there is not even an alert or any danger for the Lone Butte/Interlakes area.
He says bad information on social media and from some of the larger news outlets is not helping the situation…
“It’s a difficult time and we don’t need people speculating on things that are just not true, please allow the official people to convey information and we’ll do it as quickly as we can.”
Richmond says the buses left 100 Mile House early this morning between 2 and 2-30 and as far as he knows those people are now safe and in Prince George.
Something going on in the Cariboo you think people should know about?
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