Evacuation Orders, Alerts, and Area Restriction Information

High winds are forecasted across the Dawson Creek Zone within the Prince George Fire Centre today and tomorrow. We are anticipating extreme fire behaviour due to these winds combined with hot and dry conditions. New wildfire starts are possible and any new incidents will grow rapidly under these conditions. Expansions to existing Evacuation Alerts and Orders as well as Area Restrictions are likely to occur over the next 48 hours.

The following Evacuation Alerts and Orders (maps included at the end of this message) are in effect for areas in the vicinity of existing Wildfires of Note:

The Peace River Regional District has declared a State of Local Emergency for Electoral Area ‘E’.

An Evacuation Order has been issued by the PRRD for the following areas in response to the Battleship Mountain (G72150) wildfire:

• North shore of Williston Lake
• Table Creek south to Dowling Creek (8km west of the WAC Bennett Dam, 40km Johnson FSR)
• Southwest following Dowling Creek to the intersection of McAllister Creek
• West to approximately 10km West of Peck Creek
• North to Williston Lake

An Evacuation Alert has been issued by the PRRD for the following areas in response to the Battleship Mountain (G72150) wildfire:

• Twelve Mile Rd, Dunley Rd, Eagle Heights Dr, & Aspen Ridge Dr.
• Beryl Prairie Rd. & Haagsman St
• Farrell Creek Rd., Simonsen Ave, & Lahagarte Rd.
• East of Johnson Creek FSR at 40km until Highway 29 and North until Hudson’s Hope from the Johnson Creek FSR along Highway 29

An Evacuation Alert has been issued for the PRRD for the following areas in response to the Bearhole Lake (G72182) wildfire:

• 4 km West of the Alberta border
• 5 km North of Kelly Lake until 5km South of Kelly Lake

The District of Hudson’s Hope has declared a State of Local Emergency. Please refer to the District of Hudson’s Hope website for information on their Evacuation Order and Evacuation Alert in response to the Battleship Mountain (G72150) wildfire.

What does this mean for the public?

If you’ve been placed under an Evacuation Order, that means you are advised to leave the area for your own safety and for the health and safety of firefighters. Receiving an Evacuation Order can be an unsettling and emotional experience. We understand that you may be reluctant to leave your home and community. However, choosing to remain in an area that is under an Evacuation Order puts yourself, your family, and first responders in danger. It’s not worth the risk.

People who remain in an area that’s under an Evacuation Order may impede the ability of fire crews to fight a wildfire, because crews may be forced to stop fighting the fire to keep you out of harm’s way. People who decide to “wait and see” if they need to evacuate an area may find their escape route blocked by fallen trees or abandoned vehicles, and once familiar landmarks may be blanketed in thick smoke.

Should you choose to disregard an evacuation order, you may be in danger even if you can’t see the wildfire, since it can spread quickly when embers are blown ahead of the fire by wind. These embers can be carried for kilometres and start new fires between you and safety. Wildfire activity is heavily impacted by weather conditions, which means that fire activity can increase suddenly and rapidly due to wind, heat and dryness. The wildfire itself can contribute to these conditions. Thick smoke can obscure landmarks, making it dangerous to travel or work outside. In addition, a lack of electricity can affect your ability to get fuel and supply water.

A wildfire can be relentless. Stress and sleep deprivation over several days can decrease your alertness and impact your ability to think clearly. This can impair decision-making, slow your reaction time, and increase the likelihood that you’ll make mistakes. Sheltering in a home or other structure is no guarantee that you’ll be safe from an approaching wildfire. For example, Australia’s 2009 Victoria Bushfires Royal Commission determined that two-thirds of wildfire-related fatalities on that country’s “Black Saturday” (Feb. 7, 2009) occurred in homes. Of the 173 fatalities that day, 113 people were in their homes, 27 died outside but near their homes, seven died in other buildings, 11 died in vehicles, 10 died near vehicles or on roads, and five died at locations away from fires.

Preparing in advance for a potential Evacuation Alert or Evacuation Order can make the experience less stressful. Develop a household evacuation plan, assemble an emergency kit and talk with your neighbours. See PreparedBC’s Wildfire Preparedness Guide for more information.

The BC Wildfire Service’s top priorities are human life and safety, followed by identifying values at risk (infrastructure, property, environment). Resources will be strategically deployed to both new and existing incidents in a priority sequence. The BC Wildfire Service would like to remind everyone to be responsible with any activity that could potentially create a wildfire. Human-caused wildfires are fully preventable and unnecessarily divert resources from naturally occurring wildfires.

To report a wildfire call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone or through the BC Wildfire Service public mobile app.

For more information on the Battleship Mountain Complex, contact:
Shannon Street & Sarah Hall
Battleship Mountain Complex Information Officers
778-362-6087
BCWS.BattleshipInformation@gov.bc.ca

For general information and inquires, contact:
Alex Lane & Sharon Nickel
Prince George Fire Centre Information Officers
250-561-4629
INFOPG@gov.bc.ca