A wildfire threatening the town of Fort Nelson in far northeast B.C. has inflicted 害羞草研究所渟ome structural damage,害羞草研究所� according to the community害羞草研究所檚 mayor.
Rob Fraser, the mayor of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, which includes Fort Nelson, says the damage occurred on rural properties outside town, around the northern flank of the fire.
Staff at the emergency operations centre in Fort Nelson were assessing the damage and contacting property owners, he said in an interview on Thursday.
Fraser would not say how many properties had been damaged or if the damaged structures included homes.
The mayor said he had wanted to wait before making the news public, but someone with a camera had taken video showing some of the damage.
害羞草研究所淐ould you imagine, for the first time, seeing that structures on your property have been damaged because you saw it on social media? It害羞草研究所檚 just, it害羞草研究所檚 tragic,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淚t sort of forced our hand 害羞草研究所� We wanted to ease the folks into that a little bit.害羞草研究所�
Fraser was back in Fort Nelson after travelling to Fort St. John, 380 kilometres to the south, to meet with evacuees on Wednesday.
In a video posted to Facebook earlier this week, he said Fort St. John had to absorb the 害羞草研究所渟hock害羞草研究所� of about 3,500 people dropping 害羞草研究所渋nto a community of 25,000.害羞草研究所�
The town is heaving since Fort Nelson residents were told to flee there on Friday in the face of the Parker Lake wildfire.
Evacuees packed the parking lot of the North Peace Arena in Fort St. John on Wednesday after a meeting to explain their situation, many leaving with maps in their hands showing the fires害羞草研究所� locations, spreading out to hotels that have had to absorb thousands of unexpected guests.
Fraser said Wednesday that the fires burning near their community leave the future in the short term 害羞草研究所渦p in the air,害羞草研究所� and there is no solid timeline for when residents can return.
害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 want to be in that situation where we turn people back to the community and three days later we just send them out again,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hat would be just a nightmare.害羞草研究所�
For Fort St. John businesses, the impact of the influx was almost immediate.
Jalen Etter, 18, a waiter at the Denny害羞草研究所檚 attached to a hotel where many evacuees were staying, said the restaurant did its highest sales ever on Saturday as the evacuees rolled into town.
Etter said that his supervisor had told him before his shift that day to 害羞草研究所渏ust be prepared.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 like, 害羞草研究所榃ell it can害羞草研究所檛 be too bad.害羞草研究所� I was wrong,害羞草研究所� he said on Wednesday. 害羞草研究所淧eople kept on coming in.害羞草研究所�
The influx meant the restaurant ran out of a lot of stock on Tuesday, he said.
害羞草研究所淲e had no steaks. We couldn害羞草研究所檛 serve burgers, no soup, salad, fish and chips, no milkshakes, any of that stuff,害羞草研究所� he said.
Hotel manager Zeny Patel at the Howard Johnson in Fort St. John said there was a change of ownership a month ago, and staff were still working on a deep clean and computer system transition when unhappy evacuees started showing up.
Patel said many didn害羞草研究所檛 have money, identification or proper luggage, and the hotel, and many others in town, was full of evacuees.
She said the government supports for evacuees were helping, but it was still a 害羞草研究所渟tressful害羞草研究所� situation to be in.
害羞草研究所淲e have to deal with their emotions, so we are supporting them as much as we can,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淕uests are our priority right now.害羞草研究所�
Some businesses have been rolling out the welcome mat for the evacuees.
Local cinema The Lido has been hosting free movie nights for them, including popcorn and drinks, sponsored by a pair of local energy companies. BarBurrito has been offering discounts for evacuees.
After the meeting Wednesday, Fraser said officials were able to answer people害羞草研究所檚 questions, but residents were 害羞草研究所渁nxious about coming back to the community.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 feel we害羞草研究所檝e allayed some of their fears,害羞草研究所� he said.
He told evacuees that it was by 害羞草研究所渢he grace of God害羞草研究所� that the Parker Lake wildfire, fanned by winds of 70 kilometres per hour, didn害羞草研究所檛 sweep through the community of about 4,700 residents last Friday.
The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze about two kilometres west of the town now spans 127 square kilometres, up from 84 square kilometres earlier this week, but it has spread away from the town along its southern flank.
An update from the service on Thursday says winds over the fire were expected to shift, pushing smoke back into the area and challenging aerial firefighting efforts.
But it says a low-pressure system with cooler temperatures and higher humidity led to decreased fire activity on Wednesday, allowing crews to work closely along the fire害羞草研究所檚 edge and make progress on 害羞草研究所渄irect attack objectives.害羞草研究所�
Fraser said Thursday that the calmer conditions have allowed the BC Wildfire Service to determine where the hot spots are and target their efforts accordingly.
But he said there害羞草研究所檚 potential for the blaze to flare up again if winds accompany the sunny skies and warmer temperatures in the forecast for this weekend.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e not out of the woods yet. But everybody害羞草研究所檚 feeling good that we害羞草研究所檙e not in a defensive mode anymore, we害羞草研究所檙e in an offensive mode.害羞草研究所�
READ ALSO:
READ ALSO:
