HUDSON’S HOPE, B.C. – Strong winds and continued dry conditions have driven the Battleship Mountain fire to grow to over 12,000 hectares.
The District of Hudson’s Hope says wind speeds of 25 to 50 km/h with gusts of up to 70 km/h have helped the fire to grow and are expected to continue over the next 24 hours.
The evacuation alert for the District of Hudson’s Hope remains in effect until further notice.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says so far winds from the Southwest have helped to push the fire towards Williston Lake. With the fire moving towards the lake, growth has slowed, but the forecast suggests the direction of the wind could change by Wednesday.
A new weather front is expected to move into the area and bring with it strong winds from the Northwest which could push the fire in a different direction.
Below is the full update from the B.C. Wildfire Service for Monday September 5, 2022.
The Wildfire Service has struggled to bring in heavy equipment to help fight the fire to the terain in the area. The Johnson Forest Service road runs through the area of the fire and a new bridge was installed this year, but couldn’t handle the weight of a truck carrying heavy equipment.
Incident commander Scott Rennick believes with specialized equipment that has been moved into the area, ground crews will be able to bring in heavy equipment over the bridge by Monday night.
The equipment will allow fire gaurds to be built near Carbon Lake and the north side of the Johnson Forest Service Road. With the predicted change in the weather later this week, Rennick says crews have a tight timeline to get fire guards in place to help prevent further spread of the fire.
Structure Protection Specialists are also in the community of Hudson’s Hope working to develop a plan to protect any structures in the Dinosaur Lake area, if the fire moves in that direction over the next few days.
The District of Hudson’s Hope is asking residents to remain prepared to leave their homes in the event of an evacuation order being issued.
The evacuation order issued by the Peace River Regional District also remains in place for the area around Carbon Lake and the Battleship Mountain. B.C. Wildfire Crews have been working in the area to protect several cabins that are near the fire.
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