Latest news with #FortNelson
CTV News
2 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
B.C. fire crews set up sprinklers to defend buildings as blaze grows near Kelly Lake
Plumes of smoke from a wildfire, designated "G70422" by the B.C. Wildfire Service, are seen from the air near Tumbler Ridge, B.C., close to the Alberta-BC border, in a Wednesday, June 4, 2025, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-BCWS, *MANDATORY CREDIT* The BC Wildfire Service says an out-of-control blaze that has triggered evacuation orders near Kelly Lake in the province's northeast is not currently threatening the community but is growing in its direction. The service says in an update Thursday morning that firefighters from several fire departments across the province are working alongside its crews to prepare sprinkler systems to defend buildings. It says people should not wait to see smoke or fire before they evacuate, noting Highway 52 East remains closed in both directions. The service says more than 100 personnel and 12 helicopters are assigned to the blaze, which spans almost 74 square kilometres as of 8:30 a.m. Thursday. The Kiskatinaw River fire is one of two 'wildfires of note,' the other being the Summit Lake fire, which spans about 26 square kilometres along the Alaska Highway west of Fort Nelson. There were just under 70 active wildfires across B.C. listed on the wildfire service website as of Thursday morning, more than 60 per cent of which are classified as burning out of control. This report by Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press, was first published June 5, 2025.
CBC
3 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Access to water, limited personnel: How remote northern communities struggle to fight wildfires
When the Parker Lake wildfire bore down on Fort Nelson, B.C. last year in May, firefighter Sonja Leverkus said finding water to fight the blaze became a significant challenge. "The ground was still frozen at the time," she said. "I seriously recall being on my hands and knees on the fire line, digging into the frozen dirt, still trying to make a sludge to put on some of the hot spots." It was just one example of the many challenges remote northern areas can face in fighting fires. As wildfires continue to rage in parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, many of these regions are struggling with issues like access to water, dry conditions, expensive equipment and limited fire-response personnel. Drought, for example, can be a major issue in some of these areas, Leverkus said. "Places that we used to be able to dig a little hole and pull water out of to help us do mop up activities are not existent," she said. "We're really seeing a lack of water." 'On our own here' Remote communities suffer in part because when fires break out in more densely populated regions, provincial resources get reallocated to those areas, Leverkus said. "And so sometimes it does feel like... we are on our own here in the northeast." WATCH | Northern Manitoba First Nations plead for more firefighting equipment: Northern Manitoba First Nations plead for more firefighting equipment 20 hours ago Duration 2:31 First Nations in northern Manitoba want more equipment in their fight against wildfires that helped trigger a provincewide state of emergency. Pukatawagan Chief Gordie Bear said people in his community resorted to fighting the fire with hoses 'no bigger than a garden hose,' including some usually used on the community's hockey rink. Transporting firefighting equipment and resources can also pose a challenge. Moving equipment from southern B.C. to Fort Nelson can be "incredibly expensive," she said, and can take several days. One of the biggest challenges is keeping around a fire crew ready at all times. "A person has to be very creative to keep crew around to stay to be here to also help fight fire." Ken Lodge, mayor of Lac du Bonnet, Man., where wildfires recently forced around 1,000 people to evacuate, said he understands the challenges of having enough firefighters available. "We in the smaller and more remote areas don't have the revenue to staff a large, permanent — or even a small, permanent — fire department," Lodge said. "So we subsist on volunteer people." Training is "extraordinarily expensive," he said, and not everyone can do every job. And because they're volunteers, they can't always leave their paid jobs to go and fight fires, he said. "It does mean that you're very rarely going to have necessarily a full crew out fighting fires," he said. "Especially if you have a fire that's as significant as what we've had here, where it's multiple days long and there's a lot of territory that needs to be covered out here, with in some cases, limited access." WATCH | Lac du Bonnet 'shaken' by Manitoba wildfire deaths, says mayor: Lac du Bonnet 'shaken' by Manitoba wildfire deaths, says mayor 20 days ago Duration 9:14 Ken Lodge, mayor of Lac du Bonnet, Man., says those in the community who knew the two people who died in the wildfire are 'devastated,' but the town is resilient. Equipment, as well, is limited and comes with a huge cost that is borne by the municipalities, Lodge said. Still, while rural fire departments like his are relatively well trained and equipped, when it comes to wildfires, "the resources still overall aren't there to combat something of this magnitude." 'Thinking of ways to slow it down' Despite the resource challenges, Leverkus and other fire experts do believe there are ways to make their jobs less challenging — mitigation strategies that may help lessen the damage and destruction caused by the blazes. "I don't think that we should ever think something's going to stop a fire from impinging a community," she said. "I think that we should be thinking about ways to slow it down." WATCH | Firefighter documents battle to save Weyakwin, Sask.: Firefighter documents battle to save Weyakwin, Sask. 21 hours ago Duration 0:29 Jarret Nelson is on the front lines fighting a wildfire in Weyakwin, Sask. The community is one of many in the province that has been evacuated recently, with fires endangering property and residents and smoke filling the air. Nelson has been documenting the effort to fight the Pisew Fire with water bombers, large hoses, fire breaks and back burns. And for that, prevention is key. Cliff Buettner, former director of forestry and emergency and protective services with Prince Albert Grand Council in Saskatchewan, said it's crucial for homeowners to eliminate the potential fire fuel sources from their surroundings, or break up what's called a fire triangle — heat, air and fuel. "Get rid of the fuel around your house," he said. "Get rid of the things that can burn; move them away." Cedar trees, for example, are a particular hazard, Buettner said. "Everyone's got a nice ornamental cedar up against their house. If there's no moisture, where are the sparks going to start? In that cedar." "The wood you pile up against your house, it's called a home ignition zone around your home. Clean that up as much as you can to eliminate anything that can start on fire, anything that a spark will land on that will start it on fire." Magda Zachara, program director of FireSmart Canada, said that in the majority of cases, homes burn down from wildfires because of embers landing on their property from a fire that can be several kilometres away. "That is what causes the destruction," she said. "It's not the wall of flame. It's the embers that are transported through the air." That's why FireSmart Canada, a national program that helps make neighbourhoods in Canada more resilient against wildfires, says it's so important for people to mitigate or protect the "immediate zone" of a building or home. That's typically the 1.5 metres around the structure, as well as the structure itself. Removing combustible materials from that area increases the chances of one's home surviving by up to 90 per cent, she said. "If you're not going to focus on anything else, focus on this area and make it as non-combustible as possible. Remove anything that can easily ignite."
CBC
4 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Alaska Highway closed again by wildfire in B.C.'s far north
A raging wildfire in B.C.'s far north has, once again, prompted the closure of the Alaska Highway (Highway 97) in both directions west of Fort Nelson. The Summit Lake wildfire, which grew overnight and now covers 26.3 square kilometres, was first discovered on May 28, but grew aggressively between Sunday and Monday, prompting a highway closure for much of Monday. While the Alaska Highway partially reopened to allow single-lane alternating traffic around 9:30 p.m. PT on Monday, it was closed again around 12 p.m. PT on Tuesday due to the blaze. Commuters have been asked to check DriveBC for the latest on the stretch, with no detour available. An evacuation alert remains in place for a stretch of the highway in the Tetsa Lake area, with the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality warning people there to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said in an online update that, while maintaining access to the critical Highway 97 stretch was a priority, the safety of crews and the public was its primary objective. "This wildfire experienced growth overnight; none of the growth was in the direction of Highway 97 or toward identified assets," the Tuesday update reads. "Weather will continue to have impacts on fire behaviour and highway access." The BCWS said in its update that it conducted a planned ignition on Monday to limit the wildfire's impact on the highway, and larger planned ignitions would be conducted on Tuesday. "Much of this fire is in incredibly difficult and inaccessible terrain," the update reads. "Ground crews are prioritizing work in accessible areas, and helicopters are providing overhead support." Wildfires concentrated in north Sarah Budd, a BCWS fire information officer, said that the bulk of wildfire activity was occurring in the northern half of the province, particularly the northeast corner. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were just under 70 fires burning in B.C. "In the northeast, where we have the bulk of our current fire activity, we are expecting slightly higher winds today and tomorrow," she told CBC News on Tuesday. "And with significantly higher winds on Thursday and Friday into the weekend, while we don't anticipate lightning or precipitation today or tomorrow, what we do think we're going to see is an extension of ... hot, dry, windy conditions." Both of B.C.'s "wildfires of note" — those that are particularly visible or pose a threat to public safety — are in northern B.C., the Summit Lake wildfire being one of them. The Kiskatinaw River wildfire near the B.C.-Alberta border in northeastern B.C. has led to 55 addresses being put on evacuation order, and officials say strong winds increased fire activity on that blaze. As of Tuesday afternoon, it covers an area of just under 40 square kilometres. Highway 52 East remains closed in the area due to the blaze, which is burning close to the Pembina Steeprock gas processing facility.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Alaska Highway reopened after nearby wildfire forced closure near Fort Nelson, B.C.
A wildfire burning northeast of Summit Lake, B.C. is seen in this handout image on Monday, June 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO — BC Wildfire Service *MANDATORY CREDIT* The stretch of the Alaska Highway near Fort Nelson, B.C., that closed Monday due to a nearby wildfire has reopened to single lane traffic. Drive BC announced the update in a post around 9:30 p.m., saying the status could change quickly depending on wildfire activity. The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze is about 26 square kilometres in size and is burning out of control about 10 kilometres northeast of Summit Lake. It is one of two 'wildfires of note' in the province and prompted the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality to issue an evacuation alert on Monday for the Tetsa River Area. The wildfire service's latest update says the so-called Summit Lake fire 'experienced significant overnight growth' between Sunday and Monday and 'continues to display aggressive fire behaviour,' growing towards Highway 97. It says the single-lane alternating traffic is now open between kilometres 580 and 589, but notes that visibility is limited in the area. The service says there are more than 70 wildfires burning in the province as of Tuesday morning, 50 per cent of which are considered out of control. This report by Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press, was first published June 3, 2025.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Alaska Highway reopened after nearby wildfire forced closure near Fort Nelson, B.C.
A wildfire burning northeast of Summit Lake, B.C. is seen in this handout image on Monday, June 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO — BC Wildfire Service *MANDATORY CREDIT* The stretch of the Alaska Highway near Fort Nelson, B.C., that closed Monday due to a nearby wildfire has reopened to single lane traffic. Drive BC announced the update in a post around 9:30 p.m., saying the status could change quickly depending on wildfire activity. The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze is about 26 square kilometres in size and is burning out of control about 10 kilometres northeast of Summit Lake. It is one of two 'wildfires of note' in the province and prompted the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality to issue an evacuation alert on Monday for the Tetsa River Area. The wildfire service's latest update says the so-called Summit Lake fire 'experienced significant overnight growth' between Sunday and Monday and 'continues to display aggressive fire behaviour,' growing towards Highway 97. It says the single-lane alternating traffic is now open between kilometres 580 and 589, but notes that visibility is limited in the area. The service says there are more than 70 wildfires burning in the province as of Tuesday morning, 50 per cent of which are considered out of control. This report by Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press, was first published June 3, 2025.
