B.C. declares state of emergency as wildfires grow, forcing more evacuations

A provincewidestate of emergency has been declared in B.C.as wildfires continue to grow, forcing hundreds from their homes and putting thousands more on evacuation alert.

It comes after days of calls from local municipal leadersfor the province to declare a state of emergency.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the declaration will help deal with the mass evacuationsquickly and allow the government to secure accommodation for those people if necessary.

Nearly 300 fires were burning across the province on Tuesday, including several that were encroaching on communities that have issued evacuation orders or alerts.

There are more than 40 evacuation orders affectingabout 5,700 people or almost 2,900 properties in the province. There are also 69 evacuation alerts affecting just under 33,000 people and about 16,000 properties.

"We have reached a critical point," Farnworth said.

More than 3,000 square kilometres of land have been burned by 1,145 wildfires in B.C. this season so far, which is three times the 10-year average for this time of year,according to B.C. Wildfire Service director of operations Cliff Chapman.

The state of emergency will stay in effect for 14 daysbut may be extended as needed.

Nk'Mip Creek fire more than doubles in size

TheNk'Mip Creek fire continues toburnonOsoyoos Indian Band land between the towns of Oliver andOsoyoos, about 40 kilometres south of Penticton. The B.C. Wildfire Service had previously referred to the fire as theInkaneep Creek wildfire, but changed the name on Tuesday.

As of 2:30 p.m. PT, the fire was estimated to cover 20square kilometres upfrom seven square kilometres on Monday night.

Those fighting the fire Tuesday are up against unrelenting wind, which has beenblowing flames across tinder-dry terrain.

"Crews have been quite challenged by these steady winds," said Taylor MacDonald with theB.C. Wildfire Service.

The Oliver Fire Department posted a brief video Tuesday showing the fire in its early stages. The post said crews worked in shifts through the nightto protect buildings from the flames.

Frantic evacuations

Hundreds of people wereordered to evacuate properties Monday after thewildfireexploded in size.

Geraldine and Rod Foleyfled their home near Mount Baldyin rural Oliverwith a few treasured photos and their pets: eightdogs, two cats and twoparrots.

"From our balcony, you could see the smoke.It was horrendous. Then all of a sudden, within five minutes, the flames were just booming up in the air," Rod said Tuesday.

A regional official "walked up the hill and yelled, 'You gotta go, now,'" he said.

Geraldine took half the animals with herin the truck, and Rod rode behind with the other half inside the couple's motorhome, where they plan to stay.

Geraldine said her son, a firefighter, told her they could be in danger of losing the home to the fire if the wind shifts.

"It makes me want to cry," Geraldine said. "That's my home."

The wildfire quickly grew from0.03 square kilometresto more than three over the course of a few hours Monday afternoon. It was seven square kilometres as of 9 p.m. PT.

Evacuations happened so frantically thatofficials haven't been able to confirm exactly how many people are out of their homes.

"The total number [of evacuees], I haven't had a chance to add up,"Erick Thompson, an information officer with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen(RDOS), said in an early-morning interview.

The Oliver-Osoyoos region is a popular tourist destination, knownfor its wineries.The legion hall in Oliver was openedTuesday morning as a reception centre for evacuees.

All evacuees are asked to register online withEmergency Support Services (ESS), even if they don't needreferrals for assistance such as housing.

Despite the fire's growth, themayor of Oliver said crews who worked on the fire overnightappear to have made progress.

"Just visually, from what I can see, things do look a lot better. The wind definitely did not come up, but the fire was quite visible overnight in certain areas for sure," MayorMartin Johansentold CBC News on Tuesday.

"I believe, you know, we've kind of gotten through maybe the initial worst of it. We'll see where it goes today everything was put on this fire as quickly as possible."

The first evacuation order, covering almost 200 properties,was issued by the Osoyoos Indian Band on Monday evening.

ChiefClarence Louie with the Osoyoos Indian Band said the Oliver Fire Department did an "outstanding job" to savehouses closest to the fire.

Members of the band who evacuated are staying in hotels in the Oliver-Osoyoos area for the time being, hesaid. Some have elected to stay behind.

The RDOShas an evacuation order in place for several dozen properties east of the wildfire. On Tuesday evening, an evacuation order was extended to 140 properties in the area.

Further to the order, several dozen properties in the region as well as within the town of Oliver are under evacuation alertand are being asked to prepare to leave if an order is issued.

WATCH | Wildfire in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley forces hundreds from their homes:

Fast-growing wildfire near Osoyoos, B.C., forces hundreds from homes

3 years ago

Duration 2:28

As British Columbia declares a state of emergency and Ottawa sends in military help, a new, fast-growing wildfire near Osoyoos, B.C. has forced hundreds of people from their homes and put even more on alert.

The RDOShas declared a local state of emergency. The town of Oliver, which has a population of about 5,000, has also declared a local state of emergency.

In the North Okanagan, near Vernon, more than a dozen properties were ordered evacuated on Tuesday due to a wildfire on the east side of MabelLake.

Officials are urgingresidents on evacuation alert to have an evacuation plan in placeand leave their properties immediately when put on evacuation order.

"From working in this branch for 20 years, I would be taking my family out if I was on an evacuation order today," Chapman said.

In B.C.'s Southern Interior, most of the resort town of Sicamous, B.C., is on an evacuation order or alert due to a wildfire sparked by a highway accident. At least 1,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes.

Evacuees struggle to findaccommodation

Residents under evacuation have beenscrambling to find safe accommodations, with hotel rooms at a premium.

Thompson-Nicola Regional District chair Ken Gillissaid there are no available places to stayin Kamloops, Merrittor Salmon Arm.

"They're absolutely full," he said.

The RDOSencouraged evacuees to consider making arrangements to stay with family or friendsdue to the shortage of hotel accommodations. The district also called on tourists to be cognizant of the wildfire situation around them before heading into the area.

"Certainly, the message from anyone who is involved in tourism is that this region is still open for business. The issue is, with fast-moving wildfires, anyone who is scheduled to be in this area or who is visiting has to be very situationally aware," said Thompson, with RDOS.

"The Okanagan is complex in that way now."

More resources coming

Farnworth said more than 3,100 people are part of the firefighting effort in B.C., right now. Another 500 are expected to arrivein the coming days.

Firefighting and evacuee support resources, however, are "thin," he said.

"I want to assure British Columbians that we are deploying all available personnel and equipment to fight the fires in communities across our province," Farnworth said.

"Every opportunity is being pursued."

The B.C. RCMP says it is continuing to send officers to communitiesthroughout the province to help with evacuations. So far, 100 officers and support staff have been deployed, and more are on standby, in the event more fires break out.

Weather 'a huge concern'

The weather in the Interior is also challenging for fire crews.There was no rain in the southern half of the province over the weekend, and some areas haven't seenrain fornearly five weeks.

Conditions are expected to stayhot, bone-dry and windy through the week.

"[The winds]have been contributing to the growth of the fire and they're expected to continue all the way until Thursday,"said MacDonald with the B.C. Wildfire Service.

The BC Wildfire Service has issued a wind advisory for the Interior, southern Interior and southeastern B.C. from Tuesday, July 20 to Thursday, July 22, 2021. Winds in the southeast of the province are expected to gust between 50 and 70 km/h.

Johansen, the mayor of Oliver, said the entire community is keeping its eye on the weather.

"The weather is a huge concern and we're only in the middle of July. This is our second, third fire in this region. I won't be surprised if we get more," he said.

"I just hope everybody does everything they can to be safe and do everything they can to avoid, you know, accidentally creating any fires We're all very concerned and we've got a long road ahead."

LISTEN | Oliver mayor speaks about theNk'Mip Creek wildfire:

Anyone placed under an evacuation order must leave the area immediately.

Evacuation centres have been set up throughout the province to assist anyone evacuating from a community under threat from a wildfire. To find the centre closest to you, visit theEmergency Management B.C.website.

Evacuees are encouraged to register online withEmergency Support Services, whether or not they access services at an evacuation centre.