Crews continue to fight the West Kiskatinaw fire in northern B.C. that moved closer to the town of Tumbler Ridge on Friday, burning about three kilometres from the townsite, according to the district.
But winds are expected to change directions Saturday, according to the B.C. Wildfire Services (BCWS), potentially pushing the fire away from Tumbler Ridge.
“We are certainly not in the clear at this point, but we are leaning toward a little bit of cautious optimism,” said Karley Desrosiers with the BCWS on Friday afternoon.
The town of about 2,400 people went on evacuation order Thursday evening, two days after the wildfire was discovered.
Uncontrolled wildfire burns near B.C.’s Tumbler Ridge
The West Kiskatinaw River wildfire, burning about 15 to 20 kilometres away from the town of Tumbler Ridge, has forced more than 2,000 people to evacuate as of Thursday afternoon.
As of Friday evening, 90 per cent of the town had left, officials say, urging those who remain to flee immediately and register online or at reception centres in Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, and Fort St. John, which will open 10 a.m. Saturday.
Tumbler Ridge fire Chief Dustin Curry says about 150 people remained on Friday, some of them emergency personnel, but others residents who refuse to comply with the order to leave.
Those who need hotel accommodation are being asked to go to Fort St. John, 170 kilometres north of Tumbler Ridge.
Vancouver Island highway shut down indefinitely
On Vancouver Island, the Cameron Bluffs wildfire continues to burn near Port Alberni. The wildfire made its way to Highway 4, prompting the closure of the major east-west route on Tuesday.
It’s now closed indefinitely after officials determined that the fire was causing instability in the incline above the highway, which has caused debris such as uprooted trees and rocks.
“As we approach this weekend and recognizing that Highway 4 will continue to be closed, we just ask people to really consider whether or not they can go or whether or not they can wait,” said Janelle Staite, deputy regional director with the province’s Ministry of Transportation.
The province announced a detour on Wednesday, but cautioned that it should only used for essential travel. The route extends travel time by hours and features rough roads and some single-lane bridges.
The logging-road detour, closed for eight hours Friday as crews worked to extricate a vehicle that rolled into a lake along the route, re-opened at 9 p.m. that evening.
Drought season ahead
While a chance of rain is in the forecast for Saturday, Tumbler Ridge is in an area experiencing drought conditions.
The hottest May on record resulted in a rapid snowmelt and record-low provincial snow levels in most B.C. mountains, according to the Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin.
The bulletin states drought risk has been exacerbated by the lingering effects of the 2022 drought and the high likelihood of above average summer temperatures.
“This is the earliest snowmelt on record ever … Prolonged drought could have major impacts on water availability, on fish and streams and other ecosystems,” said Jonathan Boyd, a hydrologist with the River Forecast Centre.
Forecasts in the Tumbler Ridge region show a chance of rain on Saturday, with temperatures expected to reach 26 C on Sunday and Monday.
Later in the week, temperatures are expected to cool to 17 C with the possibility of rain showers.
Check the CBC News Climate Dashboard for live updates on wildfire smoke and active fires across the country. Set your location for information on air quality and to find out how today’s temperatures compare to historical trends.
MONTREAL – Quebec’s ombudsperson is warning that public services are becoming “dehumanized” in the province amid a rise in demand for them.
Marc-André Dowd released his annual report today, which highlights several examples of people receiving inadequate care across the health network in the 12 months leading to March 31.
One dying man who lived alone was denied help cleaning his cat’s litter box by his local health clinic, a service Dowd says should have been given for “humanitarian reasons.”
Dowd also describes staff at a long-term care home feeding residents “mechanically” and talking among each other — despite health ministry guidelines directing staff to maintain eye contact with residents.
The ombudsperson says his office received a record number of problems to investigate across the province’s public services — 24,867 compared with 22,053 last year.
He says his office investigated 13,358 cases between April 2023 and March of this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canada next week after a planned trip in July was cancelled amid political turmoil in France.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a statement today that Macron will be in Canada Wednesday and Thursday after the leaders attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Trudeau will welcome Macron in Ottawa on Wednesday, where they are expected to discuss collaboration on geopolitical issues including their ongoing support for Ukraine.
They are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen the response to emerging threats, such as disinformation.
In Montreal, Trudeau intends to show off the city’s artificial intelligence sector, while both countries reaffirm their commitment to work with counterparts on responsible use of AI.
The leaders will also discuss promoting the French language ahead of the Francophonie summit being held in France next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Health Canada has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
The protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been reformulated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron.
It will replace the previous version of the vaccine, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.
Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season.
Earlier this week, Health Canada approved Moderna’s updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
It is still reviewing Pfizer’s updated mRNA vaccine, with a decision expected soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously described the Novavax vaccine as an mRNA shot.
