Evacuees arrive as fire grows

Desrosiers said a cold front that passed through the region over the weekend had the potential to trigger significant fire growth. While the fire did expand, crews did not see the extreme behaviour that had been forecast.

Since then, cooler temperatures and increased humidity have helped suppress activity. However, that advantage may be short-lived.

“We are going into a period now of warmer and drier conditions. So temperatures are increasing, humidity is decreasing,” Desrosiers said. “Given the drought, it won’t take much wind with these higher temperatures and lower humidity to cause fire behavior to increase.”

Smoke has also complicated firefighting efforts. In recent days, smoke from the fire has restricted aircraft operations, particularly along the southern flank of the blaze. While helicopters and air tankers have continued working where conditions allow, firefighters have increasingly relied on crews working directly on the ground.

Desrosiers said smoke has created challenges for aviation resources but has also reduced fire intensity in some areas by limiting direct sunlight.

As a result, crews have been able to move closer to active fire edges, establish containment lines and install water delivery systems designed to support suppression efforts over long distances. Despite progress, wildfire officials say there is still a considerable amount of work ahead before evacuation orders can be lifted.

The Big Bar Complex has burned across a large area, leaving extensive sections of active and uncontained fire perimeter. Firefighters continue to focus on securing key areas closest to communities and infrastructure while reducing pockets of unburned fuel that could reignite or spark new fire growth.

“I think it’s just important for people to know that, even when it looks like there’s not a lot of active fire out there, there’s still a lot of fire on the landscape,” Desrosiers said. “Those evacuation orders and alerts are in place for a reason. That ultimately comes down to public safety.”

While crews battle the wildfire in the Cariboo, Prince George remains ready to assist evacuees seeking support.

Manager of Emergency Programs Tanya Spooner said the city has seen a recent increase in registrations through Emergency Support Services.

“Today has been one of our busier days. We’ve had almost 20 evacuees through today. Up till now, we’ve only had about 20, so we’re up to about 40 as of now,” Spooner said.

Emergency officials acknowledge that the number of evacuees currently receiving support in Prince George represents only a small portion of those affected by the wildfire.

Approximately 1,200 homes remain under evacuation order, but many residents have chosen to stay with friends or family in other communities rather than seek support through reception centres.

Others have remained behind near their homes despite the ongoing wildfire threat.

Spooner said the city’s planning assumes that any resident affected by the evacuation orders could eventually require assistance.

“The reality of it is, we plan for every single one of them to be able to come here if they need to,” she said.

Through the province’s Emergency Support Services program, evacuees can access accommodations, food, clothing, financial assistance, animal care support and other resources.

Spooner cautioned that evacuation numbers can change rapidly as fire conditions evolve.

“People who have stayed there thinking that they’re safe may decide that they need to come out ” she said. “Just because it’s a little bit slow right now doesn’t mean that it’s not going to all of a sudden get really busy.”

Among those remaining in the evacuation area is 70 Mile House resident Gord Nielsen, who has chosen to stay and protect his home, which is still under construction.

“I was never scared or felt that my life was in danger at any time and so we stayed,” Nielsen said. “We have lots of water and generators for water sprinklers so I think we’re pretty solid.”

For wildfire officials, the focus remains on containment and community protection.

Crews continue constructing fire guards, conducting strategic ignition operations and securing priority areas around homes and infrastructure. However, Desrosiers stressed that residents should continue respecting evacuation orders and alerts while that work continues.

For now, the wildfire remains active, thousands of hectares continue to burn across the Cariboo, and communities affected by the Big Bar Complex fire are waiting for the conditions that will eventually allow them to safely return home.

by Nick Dube

Evacuees arrive as fire grows

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