By Greg Fry

Wildfire update

Barkerville & Bowron Lake evacuation orders lifted

Jul 26, 2024 | 1:33 PM

WILLIAMS LAKE— The Cariboo Regional District has lifted the evacuation orders for Barkerville, the Bowron Lake Park area and the Bowron area.

The orders have been replaced with alerts thanks to more favourable weather conditions in the area. Barkerville and the Bowron area had been under an evacuation order since July 21 while the Bowron Lake Park area was evacuated on July 22.

The Antler Creek fire prompted the evacuation orders. The lightning-caused fire was discovered on July 20 and is over 14,000 hectares in size. The blaze is still classified as out-of-control.

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The evacuation order for the District of Wells was downgraded to an alert Thursday night (July 25).

Despite the good news, those under an evacuation alert should do the following:

• Fill the fuel tank of personal vehicles before returning to the area.
• Bring a minimum of three days of food, water, and essential supplies (e.g. medications, pet supplies) with you as local grocery stores may not yet have adequate stock.
• Have a plan to transport all family members should the area be brought under evacuation order.
• Keep the fuel tanks of personal vehicles full in case a new order is issued.
• Make grab-and-go bags for each member of your household to keep essential items readily available for a quick departure. Pack clothing, ready-to-eat food, toiletries, medications, eyeglasses, valuable papers (i.e. insurance), immediate care needs for dependents and, if you choose, keepsakes (photographs, etc.).
• Ensure that any dependents or pets are prepared for departure. Gather comfort items (blankets, stuffed animals, etc.) for your dependents to make an evacuation less stressful. Gather any kennels or leashes to make transportation safe with your pets.
• Move pets and livestock to a safe area if they cannot be evacuated. Ensure water and feed are available.
• Ensure that you have accommodation options for your family, if possible. A Reception Centre will be made available again if required.
• Ensure that you have accommodation options for your family, if possible. An Evacuee Reception Centre will be made available if required. Homeowner or tenant insurance may provide greater support than ESS will be able to.
• Monitor reliable news sources for information on evacuation orders and locations of Reception Centres and the CRD’s channels on Facebook and cariboord.ca.
• If you are on an evacuation ALERT, or if you have been displaced from your home due to an emergency, please self-register for Emergency Support Services. You will need to sign up for the BC Services Card app to access the self-registration tool, which will reduce wait times for evacuees and assist in the referral process. https://ess.gov.bc.ca/