More crews being deployed to South Peace Complex

TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C. — More crews are being deployed to the South Peace Complex, comprising the West Kiskatinaw River and Peavine Creek fires, as the wildfires continue to grow.

According to BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), 31 pieces of heavy equipment and two unit crews are in the complex. 

More resources, including heavy equipment, 53 more firefighters and an additional unit crew, are on the way to the complex Friday and in the coming days.

BCWS says the West Kiskatinaw fire’s behaviour lessened overnight, but crews expect both wildfires to increase in intensity, depending on the winds.

The wildfire service suspects the West Kiskatinaw fire to be about 4,000 hectares but cannot get an accurate size because of smoke.

The fire grew in all directions, according to BCWS, and crossed Highway 52 East on Thursday.

Highway 52 East is closed between Highway 2 and Quintette Mine Road, and Highway 52 North is closed between Brassey Road and Mackenzie Way.

According to BCWS, crews will likely be able to get the fire contained at the point it crossed Highway 52 East.

The fire has impacted a number of power lines, but technicians are unable to repair the infrastructure safely. Once the intensity of the fire dies down, technicians will go in to fix the downed lines.

Thursday afternoon Tumbler Ridge issued an evacuation order for the district and expanded the order later the same day due to the wildfires.

Crews are setting up structure protection equipment and assessing and triaging properties in the district.

Emergency Support Services (ESS) Reception Centres are open Friday in Fort St. John and Chetwynd until 4:30 p.m. and Dawson Creek until 3 p.m.

The Fort St. John ESS Reception Centre is at the Pomeroy Sport Centre at 9324 96th Street; the Dawson Creek ESS Reception Centre is at the Ovintiv Centre at #1 300 Highway 2; and the Chetwynd ESS Reception Centre is at the District Town Hall at 5400 Hospital Road.

Evacuees in Prince George requiring services can contact 778-675-3755.

If a resident has not registered and does not require ESS, call 250-794-3310 to register.

ESS also asks residents to stay in the community they registered in.

The Peavine Creek wildfire is approximately 1,250 hectares, but the smoke in the area also makes it hard to track accurately, according to the fire service.

The easterly winds continue pushing both wildfires toward the west, and BCWS says the winds are expected to shift in the next 24 hours. Instead of blowing from the east, the wind will blow from the west.

BCWS says the main challenge is the intense fire activity, which restricts several direct fire suppression tactics. The heavy smoke in the area is also impacting aerial operations, including accurate tracking.

Another issue crews face is the very dry conditions and the volatility of spruce trees as fuel. 

BCWS says spruce is very susceptible to ignition, and once fire moves into dense spruce stands, it can move very quickly.

Because of the intense fire activity, it is dangerous for crews to work on the leading edge of the fire, but they are working on areas they can access and prioritizing structure protection.

For the latest evacuation order and alert information, visit the Peace River Regional District’s and Tumbler Ridge’s websites.

For the latest wildfire information, visit BCWS’ website.