By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
After a tumultuous summer of wildfires and landslides, there are no longer any properties under evacuation order in B.C. as of writing on September 2nd.
The Robson Valley saw two evacuation orders this summer: a four-day long order for properties near the Beaver River fire in July, and a short-lived order for properties near the Canoe Road fire in August. On top of these orders, four evacuation alerts – which instruct affected households to be ready to leave on short notice – were issued in the Valley. Both the Beaver River and Canoe Road fires prompted the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George to issue an evacuation alert for these areas, and the Dunster-Croydon fire similarly led to an evacuation alert for about 50 properties in July. In early May, a fire in Crescent Spur also led to an evacuation alert.
Despite the current lull in activity, B.C. residents should remain aware of the dangers of fire, says Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma. Currently, category two and three fires – that is, fires larger than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide – are still banned across most of the province, including in the Prince George Fire Centre.
“We are not out of the woods yet,” Ma said during a press conference last Wednesday. “There are parts of the province that remain at higher risk of human and lightning-caused wildfire. Until the wildfire season is fully behind us, people need to take extra care when having a campfire.”
Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, followed Ma’s comments with an update on water levels throughout the province. While many areas have enjoyed cooler, wetter weather in recent weeks, warmer conditions are expected to return to most of B.C. this week, he said.
“Even with recent rainfall, prolonged drought conditions continue to put a strain on local water resources and the wellbeing of local fish populations, particularly wild salmon,” Cullen said. “Voluntary reductions and water conservation measures can play a huge role in maintaining streamflows, and can even prevent or delay the need for further regulatory action.”
The Village of Valemount is under stage one water restrictions through September 30th. These restrictions, which are in place every summer, prohibit lawn watering outside the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.The Village of McBride has year-round water use restrictions which prohibit the use of sprinklers from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Additionally, households with an address ending in an even number may only sprinkle their lawn on days with an even-numbered date, and households with and address ending in an odd number can only sprinkle on odd-numbered dates.
