A wildfire fanned by 115 kilometre per hour winds razed homes along the west side of British Columbia’s Okanagan Lake, forcing many residents to escape to safety.
Video and photos posted online show flames in the night sky, and later, the charred remains of buildings along the northern end of the lake, near Vernon.
The BC Wildfire Service said Sunday that winds from an intense weather system on Saturday were too much for aircraft to hold back the Bradley Creek fire.
It prompted the evacuation of the Okanagan Indian Band reserve, while separate evacuation orders and alerts are up near the cities of Vernon and Armstrong.
The wildfire service reports that dozens more fires have been sparked and have expanded quickly, due to high winds and lightning strikes, with almost half of the 130 wildfires burning in the province out of control.
An update posted on the Bradley Creek fire said a cold front passed across the region and brought significantly elevated winds, beyond what had been in the forecast.
“Gusts were forecast to reach up to 70 km/h in the Okanagan, however crews on the ground observed sustained 80 km/h winds over the fire and 115 km/h winds at elevation,” the update posted online said.
“These winds caused significant challenges and the firefighters, helicopters, airtankers and skimmers were unable to hold the fire.”
The shifting winds also forced the fire across Highway 97, which has been closed to traffic on what would be a busy holiday travel weekend.
As of Sunday morning, there were 42 separate evacuation orders for communities across the province and another 40 alerts.
Vernon’s acting mayor Akbal Mund said in an interview Sunday that after a gusty day on Saturday, the winds have calmed and the flames are moving away from the city of about 50,000 people.
“Yesterday the winds were very, very swift. We had a cold front move through, and I think some were saying winds were over 50 kilometers per hours. So, (that’s) not good when you’re trying to fight a fire,” he said.
Mund said about 250 evacuees have registered so far at an emergency services centre set up in Vernon, where they can get water and food.
There was a line-up out the door of more people arriving Sunday morning, he said.
“I will tell you, they are as prepared as you can be under these circumstances. I haven’t ever had to evacuate myself, but I can just imagine what that feels like for the people involved. So, the community is here to help,” he said.
The Regional District of North Okanagan said if people have a recreational vehicle, and time permits, they should bring it with them as accommodations will be limited.
The wildfires and Saturday night’s storm have also knocked out power to several areas of the province, especially in the Okanagan and Kootenay regions where more than 23,000 customers are without lights.
The BC Wildfire Service is recommending that British Columbians be prepared for a possible quick departure, even if wildfires aren’t threatening their areas.
The service says there are five wildfires of note now in the province, all of them burning near communities.
