Crews at Lillooet blaze fight fire with fire
Last Updated: Tuesday, August 4, 2009 | 10:16 PM PT
CBC News
A controlled fire burns behind evacuated homes in an attempt to reduce the amount of fuel for a wildfire burning on Mount McLean in Lillooet, B.C., on Tuesday. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press) Crews battling the Mount McLean wildfire set off a series of controlled fires late Tuesday in an effort to contain the blaze that has forced the evacuation of Lillooet, B.C.
The 3,333-hectare blaze prompted more than 2,000 people to flee their homes Sunday night as the fire crept closer to the town, about 250 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.
Fire crews were fighting the fire on three sides and made some headway strengthening the fire guards on the north and west flanks.
But it's the east side of the fire that had been creeping to within one kilometre of the town and that's where firefighters were concentrating their efforts.
"Containment is still zero per cent and the fire is not controlled yet but burning-off operations are doing really well and this is our main strategy," said fire information officer Isabelle Jacques.
Some residents refusing to leave
While thousands of people left Sunday, about 100 residents stayed behind, ignoring the evacuation order. RCMP Sgt. Fran Bethell said those who have remained are in danger.
Bethell said the Mounties have set up numerous roadblocks around the community to control traffic flow and discourage people from trying to return to their homes.
She said 30 officers are on the scene patrolling Lillooet to prevent looting and vandalism.
Resident Jim Trainor said being out of the fire zone can only help firefighters in their battle.
"There hasn't been any loss of life and perhaps there hasn't been any loss of homes at this point," he said.
"[We're] pretty grateful, because watching that fire and the firefighting, it was extremely difficult conditions. It's better we're out of there. They can do what they have to do without worrying about people and potential loss of life," Trainor said.
Officials said Monday residents should expect to stay away for at least three days.
Thousands flee Fintry area
A wildfire burns on Terrace Mountain north of Kelowna, B.C., early Tuesday. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press) Meanwhile, in the central Okanagan, more than 2,500 people remained out of their homes Tuesday because of an extremely aggressive wildfire burning near Fintry.
Another 2,200 people in the area remain on evacuation alert.
The fire is estimated at 7,500 hectares, but fire information officer Susanne von der Porten said Tuesday morning they expect that estimate to grow once crews are able to remap the fire.
"It is a tough fire for firefighters. It's in really steep terrain and because of the drought conditions that have occurred in the last week, the fuels are very dry and so the fire moves quickly through that dense forest."
Officials say hot and dry conditions, as well as strong winds, are in the forecast, but they are hoping for rain in the coming days to help crews get a handle on the blaze.
The latest evacuation order came just days after many of those same residents were allowed to return home after an earlier order was lifted.
The fire had been estimated to be 90 per cent contained when high winds pushed it over the fireguard Sunday.
Boaters on Okanagan Lake are being advised to stay at least 400 metres from the shoreline of all evacuated areas.
In Brookmere, about 100 kilometres west of Fintry, all of the tiny community's 120 residents have been forced from their homes as a 2,000-hectare fire burns just five kilometres from the settlement.
Evacuation orders also affect residents living close to fires south of Merritt, in several communities west of Lillooet and north of Pemberton Meadows.
In total, nearly 5,000 people have left residential areas throughout B.C. Officials say there have been almost 2,100 fires so far this season, burning about 550 square kilometres of forest.
The Canadian Red Cross said in a release today that if people would like to help but aren't living near a wildfire they can volunteer or donate money.
The relief organization asked those wishing to make a donation to call the Red Cross at 1-800-418-1111 and specify it's for B.C. fire aid.
Those wanting to volunteer were asked to call the numbers below, depending on their location in the province: Vancouver 604-709-6682; Okanagan 1-800-661-3308; Thompson/Kamloops 1-877-372-2334; Victoria 1-800-661-9055; Prince George and Northern B.C. 1-800-278-7177.
