By Canadian Press May 13, 2024
FORT NELSON, B.C. — A fire behaviour specialist with the B.C. Wildfire Service says an intense wildfire could hit Fort Nelson this morning, based on forecasts that have been calling for strong winds that have been fuelling the out-of-control blaze to continue throughout the day.
Ben Boghean said in a video posted to social media Sunday night that the extreme fire behaviour, made worse by years of drought and a below-normal snowpack this past winter, could end up threatening the crews that have been fighting the Parker Lake wildfire.
Rob Fraser, mayor of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality based in Fort Nelson, said yesterday that fire crews and emergency workers are preparing a “last stand” if the fire advances into the town itself.
The wildfire threatening Fort Nelson continues to grow, with the most recent update late Sunday night indicating it had swelled to nearly 53 square kilometres.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says the blaze is currently burning just two kilometres northwest of Fort Nelson, which has already seen about 3,500 people evacuate after an order to leave was issued Friday.
Fraser urged anyone who defied the order to leave immediately, warning local resources like water pressure and electricity may diminish or stop outright for public use since much of the supply will be directed to support firefighters trying to suppress the wildfire.
The province’s minister of emergency management Bowinn Ma said Sunday night to supplement limited accommodations for evacuees, the province is setting up an additional space with 200 rooms in Sunset Prairie, a community 440 kilometres south of Fort Nelson.
The blaze is one of several out-of-control wildfires in Western Canada threatening nearby communities in provinces such as Alberta and Manitoba.
“The wind is going to be sustained and it is going to push the fire towards the community,” BC Wildfire’s director of operations, Cliff Chapman, warned in Sunday night’s update video about the fire threatening Fort Nelson.
“Escape routes may be compromised and visibility will be poor as the fire continues to grow.”
