New evacuations in Terrace Mountain fire as Lillooet remains under threat -- The Vancouver Sun.

By Sam Cooper, Elaine O’Connor, Katie Mercer and David Carrigg,
Vancouver Province August 1, 2009 7:44 PM

A new evacuation order was issued in the Kelowna area Saturday evening, affecting 1,200 people.

Residents in communities north of Kelowna were ordered just before 6 p.m. local time to leave their homes due increased activity from the nearby Terrace Mountain fire.

Another 2,500 residents in surrounding areas remain on high alert. An emergency reception centre is set up at a school in West Kelowna.

The latest update earlier Saturday had Terrace Mountain 90 per cent contained and holding steady at about 4,500 hectares. The human-caused blaze was first spotted July 18.

Another aggressive wildfire in the B.C. Interior, on Mount McLean is devouring tinder-dry trees and rolling downhill, to the small community of Lillooet in the east.

That blaze has advanced to within one kilometre of about 2,300 district residents, who were put on evacuation alert Thursday. Officials urged them to be packed and ready to leave within 60 seconds of an evacuation order.

"The fire is approaching the town," fire information officer Isabelle Jacques said in an interview this afternoon. "This is a critical situation; we’ve never seen conditions so hot and so dry."

The fire has been burning over a week, and has grown to 2,700 hectares Saturday afternoon, from 2,200 hectares in the morning.

Dominant winds had been pushing the fire away from town, to the northwest, but they could shift and push it down to the south-east.

Jacques and fellow fire officer Garry Horley said they were amazed at how quickly trees are burning under current conditions. They conducted a controlled burn and saw trees immolated in under 30 seconds, Jacques said.

Fire speed was greatest on Thursday night, when flames raced across the land at 100 metres per minute, Horley said.

The cause was a convergence of dominant winds, which could happen if thunderstorms forecast for Saturday afternoon rile up the atmosphere, Jacques said.

Lighting strikes are also a concern for starting more fires.

The fire is zero-per cent contained, and under current conditions defensive and aerial tactics are the only option, Jacques said.

"It’s too dangerous for us to put our staff in front of the fire on the ground."

An emergency centre has been set up in Lillooet, and residents call often for updates, information officer Jerry Sucharyna, said in an interview.

Sucharyna said many town residents had left the area voluntarily until fire conditions improve. The local hospital has been evacuated, with patients sent to other regional hospitals.

If an evacuation is ordered, residents will be sent to Kamloops.

According to reports most town residents are optimistic the fire will stay in the high alpine areas.

Jacques said residents should not be so assured. A similar fire approached the town in 2004 but "stayed up on the ridge," she said. "Now the fire is down in the flank."

So far three homes on the northeast shore of Seton Lake, on the west flank of the mountain, have been ordered evacuated.

Firefighting resources have been increased to 60 firefighters, 15 helicopters, and eight heavy equipment units, along with 40 backup personnel and 17 charged with assessing structural fire danger and control.

Crews are working on building contingency guards and maintaining sprinkler systems on the eastern and western flanks while helicopters are strengthening the retardant line on the west flank with water drops and attacking hot spots near Lillooet, fire information officer Elise Riedlinger said.

British Columbians are facing the worst fire season in recent history with 85 per cent of the province on high or extreme fire warning. On July 30 alone, 171 fires started, primarily from lightning combined with the scorching heat wave that has gripped the province this week.

A blaze in Whistler, started with a lightning strike Thursday, is still active but was 50 per cent contained at noon Saturday.

The fire on Crystal Ridge, on the northwest flank of Blackcomb, quickly grew to 75 hectares Thursday afternoon, but has fallen back to 30 hectares. The fire remains a rank 1-2 fire, smouldering at ground level. On Saturday fire service officials said the plan is to have the blaze 100 per cent contained within three days. There are 90 firefighters currently deployed to the blaze. The blaze is three kilometres uphill from any structures, and no structures are threatened, fire service says.

Tourist activities continue on Whistler mountain.

Vancouver Province

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