Latest news with #BcwildfireService
CBC
04-07-2025
- CBC
Stranded man with outstanding warrants plucked off cliff amid B.C. wildfire lands in jail
Social Sharing A man stranded on the side of a cliff amid a wildfire near Hope, B.C., was rescued by helicopter and then taken into custody on multiple outstanding warrants, according to RCMP. Mounties say their officers arrived to help other first responders on Thursday as the fire burned in steep terrain on the side of a mountain, when they heard a man yelling for help. Once the fire was contained in the area, police say search and rescue crews found a 27-year-old man stranded on the face of a cliff. The man was taken out by a helicopter long line and wasn't hurt, but it turns out there were several warrants out for his arrest, and he was taken into custody. WATCH | New out-of-control wildfire breaks out near Hope: New out of control wildfire breaks out near Hope 1 day ago Duration 2:09 A new wildfire has sparked up near Hope. B.C. Wildfire says it was discovered last night. The B.C. Wildfire Service said in an update on Friday that the fire was discovered Wednesday near the popular Serpent's Back hiking trail and is now classified as being held. Brad Fandrich with Valley Helicopters, a charter helicopter operator, says the wildfire service called for help, and he dumped about 100 buckets on the fire on Thursday alone. Fandrich says the steep cliffs made it difficult for crews to get close to the blaze, so the fight had to be done by helicopter. The District of Hope says the B.C. Wildfire Service is supporting its local fire department with air suppression and a 10-person ground crew. WATCH | Wildfires near Lytton, B.C., prompt evacuation orders, state of local emergency: Wildfires near Lytton, B.C., prompt evacuation orders, state of local emergency 2 days ago Duration 2:10 The B.C. Wildfire Service says the Nikaia fire, one of two blazes burning near Lytton in the Fraser Canyon, is now being held at 5.7 hectares and is unlikely to grow further. A second fire north of Lytton is spread across 100 hectares and is out of control. There are about 80 active fires in BC, mostly in the northeast. CBC's Shaurya Kshatri reports. A wildfire near Lytton remains the only wildfire of note burning in the province. The Izman Creek fire has grown to 155 hectares in size and is listed as out of control, although an evacuation order issued by the Neskonlith Indian Band for about 40 properties has been downgraded to an alert. The Thompson-Nicola Regional District says some properties under its jurisdiction near the fire remain on evacuation alert, just over four years after much of the town of Lytton was destroyed by a wildfire. Mounties said this week that the fire was triggered after a wheel fell off an RCMP trailer, which sparked grasses in a ditch. The regional district also says that an evacuation alert that had been in place for homes threatened by the Mount Scatchard Wildfire, west of Chase, B.C., has been lifted as of Friday.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tactical evacuations ordered due to wildfire east of Kamloops near Chase, B.C.
Some members of the Neskonlith Indian Band land near Chase, B.C., have been told to evacuate due to a wildfire that started near their community in the B.C. Interior, about 200 kilometres northeast of Vancouver and 60 kilometres east of Kamloops. The Neskonlith reception office said in a post to Facebook that the fire is burning near its administration office off Chief Neskonlith Drive on Harper Mountain Road, with a "mandatory evacuation of all surrounding area." "Proceed with caution as fire is spreading rapidly," the post reads. It was not immediately clear how many people were affected by the order, but maps show there are several residential and commercial properties near the office. According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, the fire was discovered at about 3 p.m. PT Monday, and is estimated to be four hectares or 0.04 square kilometres in size. The suspected cause is human, which is how all fires not caused by lightning are classified. B.C. Wildfire information officer Taylor Shantz said the fire started near the community, prompting tactical evacuations, but said it is now burning eastward away from homes and buildings. Tactical evacuations refer to those conducted by emergency crews by going door-to-door or directly contacting those who may be at risk, as opposed to a formal order given through local government. Social media posts show smoke from the fire blowing into the nearby Village of Chase. The population of the Neskonlith reserve land is just over 200, though not all would be living in the area affected by the evacuation, while Chase is home to about 2,300 people. Evacuees are being directed to a reception centre in Chase, about five kilometres north of the fire.
CBC
30-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Wildfire evacuations ordered east of Kamloops near Chase, B.C.
An evacuation has been ordered for part of Neskonlith Indian Band land near Chase, B.C. in the B.C. Interior, about 200 kilometres northeast of Vancouver and 60 kilometres east of Kamloops. The Neskonlith reception office said in a post to Facebook that the fire is burning near its administration office off Chief Neskonlith Drive on Harper Mountain Road, with a "mandatory evacuation of all surrounding area." "Proceed with caution as fire is spreading rapidly," the post reads. It was not immediately clear how many people were affected by the order, but maps show there are several residential and commercial properties near the office. According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, the fire was discovered at about 3 p.m. PT Monday, and is estimated to be four hectares or 0.04 square kilometres in size. The suspected cause is human, which is how all fires not caused by lightning are classified. Social media posts show smoke from the fire blowing into the nearby Village of Chase. The population of the Neskonlith reserve land is just over 200, though not all would be living in the area affected by the evacuation, while Chase is home to about 2,300 people.
CTV News
30-06-2025
- CTV News
Impaired driving crash sparks wildfire near Merritt, B.C.
An RCMP cruiser is pictured with the logo painted on the side. (Source: Facebook) A driver has been suspended for three months for impaired driving after a car crashed into a ditch and caused a small wildfire in Merritt, B.C. Mounties were called to a crash on Highway 5A at the north point of Nicola Lake on Sunday amid reports a vehicle had caught fire and flames were spreading to the bush near the road, Merritt RCMP said in a statement Monday. According to police, a witness said the driver had been swerving to avoid a fox on the road. Suspecting the driver had been behind the wheel while impaired, the attending officer attempted to conduct a breathalyzer test. The driver refused and was slapped with a 90-day driving ban and the impoundment of their vehicle for 30 days. The driver is not being investigated for the ignition of the wildfire at this time, police said. 'The Merritt RCMP continues to remind the public about and enforce impaired driving,' said Const. Blake Chursinoff. 'There is zero leniency with driving while impaired. We are grateful for our partners with (the B.C. Wildfire Service) for their swift action in containing the blaze and the public who stayed on scene and were able to provide key information to the officers for their investigation.'
CBC
17-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Alerts lifted as favourable weather helps B.C. wildfire fight
Rain in northern British Columbia and cooler weather in the south have brought some relief for residents living near wildfires. The remaining evacuation alerts related to the Pocket Knife Creek wildfire, northwest of Fort. St. John, were rescinded Monday, although the Peace River Regional District said new orders or alerts may be issued if the situation changes. The B.C. Wildfire Service said crews were still on the scene in Squamish to extinguish hot spots from the Dryden Creek fire, about 60 kilometres north of Vancouver, which was declared to be under control on Saturday. The progress in the firefight means evacuation alerts for most homes closest to the blaze have been lifted, while Mayor Armand Hurford said evacuation orders have been issued for two properties due to possible slope instability. "Wildfire crews have been sharing stories of big trees that are usually quite resilient to wildfire, but because of the rocky terrain they're only hanging on by their roots and the roots are being burnt out," Hurford said Monday. "Trees that would normally survive are falling, and the trees themselves and the debris that they've disturbed roll downhill towards the affected properties." Hurford said the B.C. Wildfire Service is now the lead on the blaze, taking over from Squamish Fire Rescue. Squamish Fire Rescue Chief Aaron Foote said the city has an "extremely busy fire department" even without a wildfire. "The calls don't stop outside of the wildfire, so our crews are busy running around all day and night," he said. Foote said more favourable conditions are forecast for this week, with lower temperatures and rain expected on Wednesday. He said there are about 57 wildfire fighters on the blaze, with four tree fallers and three helicopters that continue to bucket areas that are not accessible by those on the ground. B.C. Parks said Alice Lake Provincial Park will reopen on Tuesday after the wildfire forced the closure because the access road into the park was threatened. Kiskatinaw River fire remains out of control In northeastern B.C., the wildfire service said flames are no longer visible from the Kiskatinaw River fire after it was doused with more than 20 millimetres of rainfall over the weekend. But B.C. Wildfire Service fire behaviour analyst Neal McLoughlin said in a video posted Sunday that it "doesn't mean the fire isn't active underground," so crews remain on scene. The blaze — located southeast of Dawson Creek — is still rated as out of control, and is one of three wildfires of note in B.C. Wildfires of note are defined as fires that are highly visible or that pose a potential threat to public safety. "When we receive this amount of rain on a fire, it's going to take several days of hot, dry conditions before our fuel moisture conditions recover and allow the fire to become active on the surface again," McLoughlin said in the video. "So, this change in weather has really given us the upper hand for the next week to get ahead of fire suppression activities." He said the northeast has experienced several years of drought, and while the rain improves firefighting conditions, the landscape is still receptive to fire. "Twenty millimetres of rain is wonderful, but we know there's hot spots still within the fire perimeter, and we also know that there's deep underlying drought, and so within a week of drying conditions, we could see active fire on the surface again, and for that reason, we need to maintain active fire suppression over the weeks to come and wrap this fire."
