Rob Fraser did not sugarcoat the situation facing Fort Nelson, B.C., as forecasts called for westerly winds to pick up in northeastern British Columbia late Sunday and turn a menacing nearby wildfire into a dire threat.
Fraser, mayor of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality based in Fort Nelson, said fire crews and emergency workers are preparing a"last stand" for the possibility that strong winds will push the nearby Parker Lake wildfire directly into the town itself.
In B.C., about 3,500 people have already evacuated from Fort Nelson after an order to leave was issued Friday evening in light of the fast-growing Parker Lake fire, with many residents temporarily relocating hundreds of kilometres to the south to Fort St John or Prince George, B.C. "And there's even the potential for us to lose electricity. So they'll be at their homes thinking that they're going to be able to use their own sprinklers, electric pumps and that sort of thing to help themselves, and they'll find that the resources that they need are gone."
"Know that the decision to evacuate has not been made lightly and is based on careful assessment and expert advice, with the safety of residents being at the forefront," the update said. "Just pray that the winds don't come from the west," he said."Maybe they go northwest which will help to blow it south of the community, and that would really help us.In Yukon, telecommunications and 911 services have mostly been restored after being knocked out by the Fort Nelson wildfire on Friday, government spokeswoman Julia Duchesne said.
"Approximately 500 residents are affected at this time, but that number may increase as conditions change," the province's statement said regarding the people evacuated from Cranberry Portage, adding that another wildfire is burning north of The Pas, Man., threatening hydro lines.
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