During today’s update on the wildfire situation in BC, Chief Fire Information Officer Kevin Skrepnek says the weather forecast continues to be mixed news for firefighters.
“Tomorrow, we’re expecting isolated thunderstorms with the rain in the south and potentially in the Cariboo. Rain would be welcome. Unfortunately, there is a risk of lightning as well. Further thunderstorms expected for Thursday across the south and the Caribou but it is looking like Thursday will almost certainly come at least a little bit of rain.”
There are more than 3,000 people currently fighting the fires in BC, including more than 400 from outside of the province and nearly 1,000 contractors from the forest industry. Two hundred and twenty aircraft are supporting ground operations.
“Today, we have 155 fires burning across the province,” Skrepnek says. “That does include nine new fires that started yesterday. We have responded to 675 fire since April 1st that have burned 327,000 hectares, costing at current estimate, $98.4 million.”
Of the fires currently burning, 27 are fires of note and Skrepnek says 15 are considered a threat to communities. Of those, he says the fires near Williams Lake, Ashcroft and Hanceville are of highest concern.
Emergency Management BC now estimates that nearly 46,000 people have been evacuated. More than 30,000 people – close to 13,000 households – have registered with the Red Cross and nearly 11,000 of them are expected to receive monetary support from the Red Cross by the end of today.
In the Cariboo Fire Centre:
The White Lake fire that crossed the Highway and led to the evacuation of Williams Lake has now grown in size.The BC Wildfire Service now has it at 12 thousand hectares, up from 8. It is listed at 10% contained and is still roughly 7 kilometres northwest of the City.
The Wildwood fire, that now includes the 150 Mile and Fox Mountain fires, is 13 thousnad hectares and 20 percent contained.
In the Chilcotin, the BC Wildfire Service says the fires that forced the evacuation of Hanceville and Riske Creek have now joined. That fire, about 60 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake, is now 98 thousand hectares and is 0 percent contained.
The Kleena Kleene fire west of Highway 20 is 5 thousand hectares and the Chezacut wildfire, 140 kilometres west of Williams Lake, is 9 thousand hectares in size.
Something going on in the Cariboo you think people should know about?
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