Photo of the smoke from the Shetland Creek wildfire in the Fraser Canyon/via BC Wildfire Service
A rapidly growing fire in the Fraser Canyon has prompted the TNRD, as well as the Village of Ashcroft, to add new properties to their evacuation alert and orders list.
It comes as Interior Health begins moving seniors in assisted living facilities out of Ashcroft due to the wildfire concerns.
“The Evacuation Order is now in effect for approximately 88 addressed properties in Electoral Area “I” (Blue Sky Country),” said the Thompson Nicola Regional District in a release issued Friday afternoon. “Approximately 85 addressed properties in Venables Valley were placed on Evacuation Order on July 18, 2024 at 4:00 pm, and approximately 3 addressed properties have been newly placed on Evacuation Order.”
The new orders include all addressed properties within the Community of Venables Valley up to Hat Creek Road, to east of Oregon Jack Park and the historic Ashcroft Manor site.
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- Map of expanded evacuation orders issued by the TNRD on Friday afternoon/via TNRD
At the same time, the Village of Ashcroft has been put under an evacuation alert.
Mayor Barbara Roden says the rapid advance of the fire has her — and the entire region — very concerned.
“Grieving what I know is going to be lost. There was a fire up there in 2003. Nowhere near as big or devastating as this promises to be, or already is. I saw what happened up there then, and I’m just kind of anticipating even worse now,” Roden told Radio NL Friday afternoon.
The expanded evacuation alerts from the TNRD now includes all addressed properties along Highway 1, including the community of Spences Bridge, north to the Village of Cache Creek, and TNRD properties surrounding the Village of Ashcroft.
At the same time, Interior Health now says it’s relocating 21 residents from Jackson House long-term care home and five clients from Thompson View Lodge assisted living facility to alternate locations away from the impacted area.
Interior Health says it is contacting families directly and providing updates on the location of their loved ones.
The health authority notes the Ashcroft Urgent and Primary Care Centre is not impacted at this time.
Interior Health is also working with all community clients to make plans for them to have access to the services they need should they need to evacuate.
All this comes as the Shetland Creek wildfire is now estimated at around 132 square kilometer in size, after more than doubling from Thursday into Friday.
