Several new evacuation orders were issued around wildfires in B.C. late Wednesday (July 24), despite a cooling weather trend that the BC Wildfire Service says is providing them with some respite.
As of Thursday morning, an estimated 1,400 British Columbians are under order and another 6,000 are under alert, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. That's a significant increase from Wednesday when 500 and 5,000 people were impacted, respectively.
Much of the sudden surge comes from communities in the Kootenays.
In Argenta and Johnsons Landing, just north of Kaslo, the residents of and leave immediately overnight. They're threatened by the 735-hectare Argenta Wildfire, which is burning out of control.
An evacuation order was also issued Wednesday for the , which has a population of about 192 people, as well as 17 surrounding properties. There are numerous wildfires burning in the Slocan Valley, but the one posing the greatest threat to Silverton is the Aylwin Creek Wildfire. It's burning out of control at about 400 hectares and is classified as a wildfire of note, meaning it is especially visible or poses a threat to the public.
To the east, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District issued an evacuation order for a handful of properties near the 133-hectare , south of Golden. The Town of Golden said Thursday that "several structures" have been destroyed. Highway 95 is closed in both directions between Golden and 6 km north of Radium Hot Springs.
Those evacuation numbers are in addition to an estimated 500 people who were under order and 5,000 who were on alert as of Wednesday morning.
Across B.C., 425 wildfires are burning Thursday morning. About 55 per cent of those are out of control, 31 per cent are under control and 14 per cent are being held. Five of them are wildfires of note.
In an update provided Wednesday, the BC Wildfire Service said lightning and hot, dry conditions were posing serious challenges, but that cooler weather that began this week has been a help.
Environment Canada has forecast highs in the low or mid-20s in parts of the Interior, including Kamloops, Kelowna and Lytton, where temperatures breached 40 C just days ago.
In the last 24 hours, 31 new wildfires cropped up, but the service was able to extinguish another 59. It has more than 1,100 personnel assigned to the blazes.
Many parts of B.C. continue to see poor air quality from wildfire smoke on Thursday. Environment Canada alerts remain over most communities in the southeastern half of the province, including in parts of the Cariboo, Okanagan and Kootenays.
\An alert is also in place for southern Vancouver Island where the Old Man Lake wildfire burns out of control about nine kilometres north of Sooke. The Capital Regional District says the fire is burning a few kilometres south of the Sooke Lake Reservoir, which is part of the water supply for about 350,000 people in Greater Victoria.
Environment Canada says wildfire smoke is highly variable, but that it is expected to last for at least the next 24 to 48 hours.
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-With files from The Canadian Press
