Wildfire in southern B.C. threatens dozens of people

British Columbia continues to be plagued by wildfires. The number of fires in the province crossed the 400 again over the weekend, and only firefighters have tackled a fraction of them, with a fire in the south of the province putting dozens of people at risk in Cathedral Park.

An aerial assessment is currently underway in southern B.C. of a wildfire that is actively growing, trapping dozens of campers in a park southwest of the village of Keremeos.

Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District information officer Eric Thompson told media that about 80 people are trapped in Cathedral Provincial Park because the Crater Creek fire is blazing next to the only road that connects the park to other neighborhoods, blocking an escape route out of the danger zone.

Thompson said provincial wildfire service officials and regional district officials are working on an aerial assessment to determine how best to evacuate vacationers and staff at Cathedral Lakes Lodge from the dangerous area. Those who remain in the Cathedral Provincial Park area have been contacted and advised to stay safe, i.e., take shelter indoors while specialized services think through an evacuation plan.

On Tuesday, the Casper Creek and Gillanders Creek fires had a combined area of 11 square kilometers and now the fire department estimates it has grown to 100 square kilometers. An evacuation order has been issued for the area. Another fire burning west of Lillooet also became more dangerous Tuesday, leading to renewed evacuations of residents in the communities of Shalalth and Seton Portage, which are located on the shores of Seton and Anderson Lakes.

It's no consolation that the weather is expected to change soon. On Thursday, fire departments across B.C. are expecting increased winds and dry thunderstorms with lightnings.

Thompson said the Crater Creek fire has forced authorities to issue evacuation orders for residents of 13 homes on the Ashnola River shoreline, the Snowy Protected area of Cathedral Provincial Park, and the Cathedral Lakes Lodge hotel. Residents of 74 homes along the Similkameen River were warned to prepare to evacuate at a moment's notice.

According to Thompson the situation is developing rapidly and the wildfires are causing difficulties.

Speaking about the people who were trapped in Cathedral Provincial Park, Eric Thompson reported that staff and guests at the Cathedral Lakes Lodge hotel were sheltering in place, and vacationers near the hotel remained in the park. About 20 other people were able to evacuate on their own. Trying to leave the area via the only road was not very safe, as a fire was burning nearby and debris had formed on the road. Therefore, the best option for people was to stay at Cathedral Lakes Lodge.

"Work is being done to make sure everyone can be removed from the area safely," Thompson assured.

The B.C. Fire Service website says there are currently only about 370 wildfires burning across the province, including 145 fires that are out of control. In the southern and much of the central part of the province, the wildfire danger level has been raised to high or extreme because of the sweltering heat in those regions.