An evacuation alert has been issued for the entire city of Kimberley due to the Matthew Creek wildfire.
The city says all 9,000 residents must be ready to leave on short notice.
In addition, the Regional District of East Kootenay has issued an evacuation alert for 66 properties in the St. Mary Lake area due to the Tower Creek fires.
“Given the current and forecasted conditions on both fires, particularly with ongoing hot, dry weather and little to no rain, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has made the recommendation that Evacuation Alerts be issued,” said City of Kimberley Fire Chief Will Booth.
“This is the time for residents within both Alert areas to ensure they are staying informed from factual sources, are registered for the Regional Evacuation Notification System, and are taking steps to prepare themselves and their families should conditions worsen.”
As of Monday morning, the BCWS said the Matthew Creek blaze is burning at about 567 hectares — just under six square kilometres. The Tower Creek wildfires cover around 280 hectares, or just under two square km. All three were discovered July 17 and are thought to have been caused by lightning strikes.
Kimberley’s acting mayor, Sandra Roberts, says in the evacuation alert notice that residents would be given as much advance notice as possible, but fire conditions are fast-changing.
There are four other fires across B.C. with wildfire-of-notice designation, meaning they are threatening public safety and critical infrastructure or are highly visible.
The number of active fires in B.C. has spiked over the weekend to about 102, with hundreds of properties evacuated or on alert in the Boston Bar area in the Fraser Canyon.
The BCWS says the fire near Kimberley started at high elevation and in steep and mountainous terrain, and combined with strengthening fire behaviour, it’s making it unsafe for crews to attack directly.
It says firefighters have been setting up control lines and using existing natural barriers, including roads and trails.
— With files from The Canadian Press
