Properties in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon are under evacuation alerts Monday due to an out-of-control wildfire.
The BC Wildfire Service says the Sailor Bar wildfire, burning across 120 hectares between Yale and Spuzzum, was discovered Saturday.
Fire Information Officer Kimberly Kelly says the wildfire is on very steep terrain, so helicopters are helping fight the flames.
“As the fire burns up the slope, we can have rolling debris and dangerous trees coming back down the slope. So it is not safe for our ground crews to be at the bottom. And at the top of the ridge, there’s no road access at this point in time, which is why we deploy our aviation resources to really attack that fire in a way that is safe and operable,” said Kelly.
She says the Sailor Bar is demonstrating “Rank 2” fire behaviour, described as an open, visible, and unorganized flame front, and a slow rate of spread.
Kelly says the fire grew east and west Sunday.
“We have not seen significant growth towards the north or the south, which would be in the direction of Spuzzum or Yale.”
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The fire has filled the town of Yale with smoke as residents prepare to leave on short notice.
Fraser Valley Regional District issued an evacuation alert for an area north of Yale to Spuzzum Creek Road, including both sides of the Fraser River Sunday afternoon.
Spuzzum First Nation issued evacuation alerts for the following areas:
Yale resident Al Ciulla says he’s packed and ready to go.
“You pack your go bag, you try and get yourself ready to go out the door, pack all your valuables, passports, et cetera, just in case,” said Ciulla.
He says he can’t remember a time his area was evacuated, but he’s quite familiar with smoke.
“There’s been a lot of fires. And this area, just because we are between the mountains, it seems to get sucked in with a lot of smoke.”
CN Rail closed its tracks because of this fire, but the BC Wildfire Service says no other infrastructure is immediately threatened by the blaze.
There are currently 69 active wildfires in B.C. Seven started in the last 24 hours.