BC wildfires: Valemount evacuation order cancelled as fire risk eases

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An evacuation order issued Saturday due to out-of-control wildfires south of Valemount has been cancelled, with officials thanking the fast action of B.C. Wildfire Service members who fought to contain the flames.

Residents in the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and the Village of Valemount that were ordered to flee can return home.

Valemount Mayor Owen Torgerson said Sunday he felt “nothing but gratitude” for the firefighters who contained the blaze within hours.

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“There was a very quick response by our local fire department, so we had resources on the ground, quickly followed by a swift response from the B.C. wildfire service,” said Torgerson.

“They were the first responders and we are so grateful for their response,” he added.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said its groundcrews have been battling the Canoe Road Wildfire with assistance from Prince George Fire Centre and the Valemount Fire Department.

The agency said airtankers, skimmers and helicopters had also been sent out to respond to the wildfire.

The Canoe Road wildfire was discovered on Saturday.

Torgerson recalled the Village of Valemount had activated its emergency operations centre and was in contact with the Ministry of Emergency Management after seeing the fires burning about three kilometres away from town.

He said his family had already prepared a 72-hour go kit when the evacuation order was issued.

Torgerson said the fire was started by lightning on a private property with a fairly substantial fuel load, and officials will be monitoring wind conditions Sunday to decide their next course of action.

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Valemount is located about 230 kilometres northeast of Kamloops and is home to more than 1,000 people based on Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census figures.

The now-cancelled evacuation order had affected residents from properties east of Highway 5, south of 17th Ave, and north of the Canoe River. An evacuation alert is now in place for the Cedarside area — meaning residents can remain home but should prepare for a potential order to evacuate.

More than 400 fires were burning across B.C. as of Sunday morning, with 89 per cent of them being started by lightning.

Sarah Budd, an information officer with B.C. Wildfire Service, said Sunday the province is experiencing a trough weather system in August. She said such systems mean there is more atmospheric instability, which can lead to more lightning.

But most of the recent lightning activity in B.C. has come with only limited precipitation. Budd said the dry conditions, when combined with existing drought, make fuels on the ground easier to ignite.

“When we get that lightning coming in without any rain, it’s pretty easy for that to start a fire,” said Budd.

The service said more than 1,600 personnel are responding to the fires across the province, and as of Sunday morning, 37 blazes had been extinguished in the last 24 hours.

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