Thousands of British Columbians are under evacuation orders Monday as wildfires in the westernmost province continue to consume vast amounts of land and property..Experts said ”exceptional high winds” contributed to dozens of wildfires across B.C., pushing walls of flames close to entire communities, with the Kamloops area being especially hard hit..While numerous buildings have been torched by fires in the Kelowna area, as of 11 a.m. Monday, the Coquihalla Highway remains closed between Hope and Merritt., and drivers are being cautioned that highways through the Interior could shut down with little notice because of the unpredictable wildfires.. FiresWildfires are impacting North American oil fundamentals. .Meanwhile, hundreds of people took flight from their homes Sunday as evacuation orders were issued..The lion’s share of the newest evacuation orders are in the Kamloops area where there are more than a dozen wildfires in the Kamloops Fire Centre district, including the Lytton, White Rock Lake, Tremont Creek and Sparks Lake fires..Officials confirmed Monday the White Rock Lake fire has “significantly damaged” multiple buildings in the bucolic Killiney Beach area, on the periphery of Okanagan Lake, just north of Kelowna..“Due to evolving conditions, crews have not been able to complete a full assessment of structure damage. More information will be provided to property owners and the media as it becomes available,” according to a statement from Central Okanagan Emergency Operations..To the northwest, more than 730 properties west of Kamloops remain on evacuation alert due to the sudden growth of the Tremont Creek wildfire, forcing dozens of families in the Cherry Creek area, south of Highway 1, to live under evacuation orders..Near Vernon, BC, the Okanagan Indian Band ordered residents of about 80 properties to evacuate immediately.. BC-fireCourtesy BC fire Service .Throughout the area, thick smoke could be seen billowing to the heavens, and left much of the area in a hazy smoke-fog..The province said more than 6,600 properties were ordered evacuated, while another 16,000 were placed on alert..Yet another ungovernable wildfire between Peachland and West Kelowna, forced nearly 500 evacuations in the Glenrosa neighbourhood of West Kelowna..Again, those “exceptional” winds rapidly pushed the Mount Law fire to eight square kilometres — an area twice the size of Stanley Park — and evacuation orders issued affect homes in Peachland..“The fire quickly grew and became, quite frankly, a nightmare for our community,” West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund told a reporter Monday..“Like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” he continued. “The fire moved in almost every direction and really acted like a snake. It surrounded an area of our community and then came down the hill towards the homes that were closest.”. Chilliwack-Evacuation-CentreChilliwack evacuation centre .Elsewhere in the Interior, more communities remain on evacuation alert due to separate fires. The 5,000-strong City of Armstrong warned residents to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. Merritt, is under similar orders..With flames licking the edges of the roadway, Coquihalla Highway, a major link between the Interior and the Lower Mainland, remains closed between Hope and Merritt as fire burns on both sides of the road. .As of August 16, there are nearly 270 active wildfires burning province-wide, says BC’s Wildfire Service, which noted it expects a break in the weather on later in the day..So far this year, 1,515 BC wildfires burned a total of 7,667 square kilometres of land, about seven times more than the 10-year average..The province is urging everyone under an evacuation to get out immediately.. Screen-Shot-2021-08-16-at-1.41.36-PMLogan Lake photo. Courtesy Fire Chief Doug Wilson. .Evacuation centres have been set up throughout BC to assist anyone evacuating from a community under threat from a wildfire..To find the centre closest to you, visit the Emergency Management B.C. website..What you should if living under an evacuation alert:.• Locate all family members and designate a meeting area outside the evacuation area, should an evacuation order be called while separated..• Pack essential items such as government-issued ID, medications, eyeglasses, valuable papers (e.g. insurance, credit, and mortgage information), immediate care needs for dependents and, if time and space permits, keepsakes for quick departure..• Prepare to move disabled persons, children, and/or neighbours, if assistance is needed..• Prepare to take pets with you and move livestock to a safe area (if possible)..• Arrange transportation for all your household members..• Fill the gas tanks of personal vehicles..• Arrange accommodation for all members of the residence, if possible..• Wait for an evacuation order to be issued before evacuating..• If the alert changes to an evacuation order , information will be provided on evacuation routes and reception centres..—BC Wildfire Service.Wildfires of note:.(Wildfires of note are wildfires which are highly visible or which pose a potential threat to public safety.).Southeast Fire Centre: • Bill Nye Mountain• Michaud Creek • Octopus Creek • Plumbob Mountain • Trozzo Creek.Cariboo Fire Centre • Big Stick Lake • Churn Creek Protected Area • Flat Lake • Young Lake.• Prince George Fire Centre: • Cutoff Creek • Pine River • Tentfire Creek.Coastal Fire Centre • Mowhokam Creek.Kamloops Fire Centre: • Brook Creek • Bunting Road • Crazy Creek Gorge FSR • Garrison Lake • George Road • Hunakwa Lake • July Mountain • Lytton Creek • Mckay Creek • Momich Lake • Mt Law • Nk’Mip Creek • Sparks Lake • Thomas Creek • Three Valley Lake • Tremont Creek • Two Mile Road • White Rock La.For a full list of evacuation orders and alerts, visit Emergency Information B.C..Mike D’Amour is the British Columbia Bureau Chief for the Western Standard..,.mdamour@westernstandardonline.com
