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Wildfires burning up British Columbia

Started by Okanagan, July 15, 2017, 08:56:07 AM

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Okanagan

This morning fire crews had the number of forest fires down to 170 different fires in BC, from close to 250 three days ago.  The Trans Canada and most major highways are closed in at least one place, close to 17,000 people evacuated and with hot dry winds picking up, the expect it to get worse.   There are not many people in BC outside of a few cities, so nearly everyone is gone from huge areas of country. 

A good friend of mine who lives west of Williams Lake, BC had his house burn to the ground.  An entire village of houses burned near Ashcroft, flames moving so fast no one could save anything but their lives.  We have had one of our longest spells without rain here at my house, though temps have not been super hot, mostly in mid to upper 70's. The town of Williams Lake has busses ready and routes kept open in preparation to evacuate 11,000 people if needed.

Fire bosses are asking people to stay off of the larger lakes all through the region so that water bombers can skim down and pick up a load of water. 

I will admit that a friend and I went trout fishing in a smaller lake a 3 hour drive from here three days ago.  The air was smoky all day and for most of the drive up, and gave me some kind of flu like reaction all day the following day.  Fat red meat trout all between 16 and 19 inches long.  Tasty but we should likely stay out of there, though we only saw one other fisherman all day.

Sure feeling bad for my friend.  I have mentioned him here when I stayed with him a few days one winter and we hunted wolves and big cats in the snow and re-lived old yarns. 

Hawks Feather

Sorry to hear of your friend's loss.  I have been west a few times when there were fires and even though I wasn't close it sort of scares a person.  I have a great deal of respect for those who go in on the ground fighting fires.  I appreciate the pilots who drop water and chemicals, but that isn't quite the same as being on the ground and not having a rapid exit available.

Jerry

Okanagan

Just got an update on my friend, an email from his daughter with the first info since we heard that his house burned.

My parents were able to remove their horses and dog and some of their belongings to a safer area south of them, but a portion of the fire is heading in that direction, so they brought their animals and things back north, behind the perimeter of the fire. Only a few of the houses in the area have burned, so they have the use of a neighbour’s house, which has power some of the time, but no phone line right now. They have been able to phone our family daily from neighbouring houses or businesses.  They have plenty of food and water and have been able to get fuel for their vehicles and feed for their animals.

Dad is working on putting out smouldering wood and watching for flareups and Mom is helping in many other ways. They are both approaching 70 and have some health issues.  It has been stressful for all of us to not be able to communicate easily and forest fires are very unpredictable. They have chosen to stay and work together with their friends and neighbours, but they have received many offers of other places to stay.

With permission of the RMCP, my husband and a friend drove on back roads with a 4x4 truck up to the one place my parents were staying.  They were bringing fuel and food and other emergency gear and supplies. When they got there, they found that my parents had moved back north not long before. They decided that it was too risky for them to continue on, so they turned around and went back to a safer location for the night. They left the supplies at a friend's place until it is safer to drive through.

riverboss

I sure hope they stay safe! It sounds like they are in the thick of it.
We will pray for they're community and family's.

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Okanagan

Update:  Changing fast, and for the worse.

Strong winds changing directions has made the fire a lot worse in the past few hours, with continued high wind predicted for another day or two.  The entire town of Williams Lake has been ordered to evacuate within the past hour or two.  Super dangerous to fight the fire because it changes direction with the wind.  Helicopters and water bombers are ineffective and dangerous to fly in the wind, plus the big fires are category 6, whatever that means.  One of the things it means, said a fire boss on the news, is that they are so hot that water drops from helicopters turn into steam rather than knock down the fire. 

My friend is out in the boonies far from towns and so away from official fire fighting crews other than locals trying to protect their homes.  Hope he and his wife are safe.  There are several big fires out his way and it sounds like the first time through the fire swept the edge of the scattered ranches and houses, so it could come back with plenty yet to burn.   The news only report on fires near larger towns and give one line every day or two about big fires out in the Chilcotin country.


Okanagan

It is getting crazier by the hour.  Many towns and rural areas under evacuation order, so many roads closed people are extremely limited in where they can go to get away.  Just saw a news item that said the fire in my friend's area is the most dangerous of all, windy and unpredictable.  His whole area is under evacuation order but I suspect that he stayed with some local folks to fight the fire and try to save their houses and barns.

Another friend of mine is stuck in a small city 300 miles from his home and though his house is in a coastal area with no fires and none likely, all of the roads that lead to his home are closed.  He has been stuck in town for nearly a week. I'm calculating from news bits that 35K people and maybe a lot more have now been ordered to evacuate. 

JohnP

#6
 I sure can sympathize with those folks.  In June 2011 we had a massive forest fire right in our backyard. Twenty thousand plus acres burnt plus numerous houses, barns, etc.  The fire burnt to within fifteen yards of our house, on all sides, went around the house and burned everything in front.  The fire fighters did a great job to save all standing structures but in some places it was just to hard to get to.  I have seen places in Vietnam after a bombing run and our mountain looked just as familiar.  Just a few pictures.

Woke up to these guys cutting trees on our fence line.


Then we saw this.



Shortly after that we saw this.



Although we never fed the deer we did provide water daily, drip type system with float valve.  Waiting for our arrival.



They let me walk right up to them to get the water going again.



Not all were as fortunate, she probably died from smoke inhalation.



Our property.





Marge said this is what saved us - I agree.  One on the front porch and one on the back patio.





Nick's Saloon, two large propane tanks exploded.  This is at the end of our dirt road, could ride the horses down, secure them to the front hitching post or if you were going to be there for more than one we had a corral in the back.  You can see the fire on the mountain side, that is in the direct path of our place.  We could not get back into our property for ten days.   



My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who are affected by fire.


When they come for mine they better bring theirs

Dave

Wow Clyde, sorry to see this about your friend.  Can't imagine what he's going through daily.  Praying for the conditions to die down allowing the fire to be fought.

pitw

  Fire like that needs a good washing from above to slow her down.  Hope BC gets some rain soon but it don't look promising.  I'm getting more smoke from BC than I did from Fort Mac. :shrug: :shrug:
I say what I think not think what I say.

KySongDog

Quote from: Okanagan on July 15, 2017, 08:56:07 AM

A good friend of mine who lives west of Williams Lake, BC had his house burn to the ground.  An entire village of houses burned near Ashcroft, flames moving so fast no one could save anything but their lives. 


I can certainly understand what your friend is going through.   In January 2015, my house burned to the ground at 0300 hours in 4 degree weather.   I lost everything (house, contents, vehicles, etc.) and barely made it out of the house. The power went out and the smoke almost got me. But I got my wife out and that's all that really matters to me.   The rest of it is just stuff that I can buy more of.  We were at WalMart that morning buying socks and underwear.  I borrowed a vehicle from my BIL to drive till I could buy another one.  I didn't talk about it on this site because there wasn't anything anyone could do and, I guess, I'm just used to handling my own problems. 

I wish your friend the very best as he starts to rebuild.  It will take time but he will get through this trial. 


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Okanagan

Johnny, That is devastating.  Had no idea, and my heart goes out to you still for the undoubted irreplaceables. 

John, way too close.  Am glad that you were spared.  I suppose you had no idea whether your house survived until later.  Tough and suspenseful wait.

The city of Williams Lake is spared so far, by controlled back burns.  One Indian village was spared when 125 of their people, many of them professional fire fighters, defied police orders to evacuate and diverted the fire from the village.  That one got tense before the police backed off.  The Chief says that the whole village would have burned if they had left. 

Current stats:  over 40,000 people evacuated with 17,000 more on standby to evacuate.  Highways and major roads closed in 15 places.  49 evacuation orders.  A two hour drive took over 8 hours for evacuees, bumper to bumper.  Possible rain on Thursday, likely thunder storms. The last thunderstorm with lightening on July 7 (?) is what changed the situation from about 50 forest fires across BC to over 200.

FWIW some places evacuated or in trouble have interesting names, a few of which those who have driven to Alaska might recognize:  Cache Creek, 100 Mile House, 150 Mile House, Big Creek, Hanceville, Mahood Lake, Okanagan Centre, Dog Creek.


Hawks Feather

Hopefully you will get some rain and not lightning or really heavy rains. 

Jerry

Okanagan

Got an update on my friend.  He is driving a water truck as part of a local Indian reserve and rancher fire fighting crew and his wife is cooking for the fire crews.  The fire that burned their house has burned 250,000 acres since it started on July 8, and today it combined with another large fire.  Too windy and smoky for helicopter and water bombers much of the time.  The fire(s) is 0% contained.

We got 20 minutes of good steady rain this morning, after a forecast of rain from last night through today.  I wish.   I think the weather men are just hoping and trying to encourage.

There is a fire burning up nearby Harrison Lake, the big lake I have often shown in photos posted here. That fire has been going since July 1.     

pitw

Geez Oke, when is it gonna run outta fuel?
I say what I think not think what I say.

FinsnFur

Wow...I cant even imagine the devastation :sad3:
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Hawks Feather

I was so looking for a post that said the rains had hit and the fires had slowed.  We were west several years ago when there were fires and you could smell the smoke and see the clouds and we were several hundred miles away.  I can't imagine what being there would be like.

Jerry

Okanagan

Quote from: pitw on July 20, 2017, 08:16:58 PM
Geez Oke, when is it gonna run outta fuel?

Wal, you might start thinking about plowing a firebreak on the west side of your place...

Jim, which side of the Mississippi River do you live on?  It is heading your way.

If you drive the Stewart Cassiar Highway there was a fire a few years ago that burned 100 miles or so of timber along the highway in northern B.C. up toward the Yukon border.  Not sure how far it burned away from the road, but it burned as far as a man can see from any high place.  Nobody out there.   

Haven't heard any news as to whether our little rain here extended east to the dry side of the mountains where it is needed.




MI VHNTR

The air here in the UP of Michigan is hazy from the smoke from the fires in Canada. Stay safe Canadians.
The Second Amendment isn't about Hunting.
It's about Freedom.

Let's Go Brandon.  FJB