Close X
Sunday, November 10, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. wildfire crews battle blaze in ancient forest park with 1,000-year-old trees

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 12 Jul, 2024 10:01 AM
  • B.C. wildfire crews battle blaze in ancient forest park with 1,000-year-old trees

British Columbia's wildfire service says crews are battling a 10-hectare blaze in a park that protects a portion of what the province calls the "only inland temperate rainforest in the world," with trees 1,000 years old.

The Ancient Forest or Chun T'oh Whudujut Park is about 115 kilometres east of Prince George in the traditional territory of the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation.

It's currently closed due to the wildfire, with the wildfire service saying it's responding to multiple incidents in the park, with the largest fire spanning 10 hectares.

The service says in a statement on social media that initial attack crews are at the scene and a helipad and water relay system have been established. 

But it says the park's terrain, ecological and cultural values have challenged suppression efforts.

The blaze is one of about 150 across the province, a figure that's holding steady from Thursday following an eruption of wildfire activity this week.

A provincial situation report says temperatures are beginning to moderate across the north after a heat wave that left forest fuels susceptible to new starts.

Still, the wildfire service says southern B.C. remains hot and dry, and there's a risk of thunderstorms on Vancouver Island, the south coast and in the Interior.

Environment Canada is maintaining heat warnings for parts of the southern Interior, from the Fraser Canyon to Kelowna, Nelson to Cranbrook in the southeast.

A campfire ban is set to take effect across the province at noon, with the exception of Haida Gwaii.

Two evacuation orders remain in effect due to wildfires in B.C., one for the Fort Nelson First Nation's Kahntah reserve about 116 kilometres southeast of Fort Nelson, and another covering part of the District of Wells, east of Quesnel.

Meanwhile, the wildfire service no longer lists a fire in the Terrace area and another near the Yukon boundary as "wildfires of note," referring to blazes that are either highly visible or pose a threat to public safety or infrastructure.

Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma said Thursday that 500 of the province's full complement of 2,000 firefighters were deployed, but the government was seeking out-of-province help now in case the risk escalates further.

"By being proactive in our request for additional resources, we can ensure that the lag that it often takes for additional resources to come in from out of province doesn't impact our ability to protect communities," Ma told a briefing.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Appointment of chief scientific advisor for overdoses

Appointment of chief scientific advisor for overdoses
B-C has announced the appointment of a chief scientific advisor with a focus on people experiencing complex mental health and addictions challenges. The province says psychiatrist and public health specialist Dr. Daniel Vigo will start in the role immediately. 

Appointment of chief scientific advisor for overdoses

Israel denies link to Islamophobic campaign in Canada that Meta says originated there

Israel denies link to Islamophobic campaign in Canada that Meta says originated there
The Israeli government is being accused in published reports of involvement in an operation aimed at reducing support for Palestinians in Canada that was flagged by artificial intelligence researchers. Israel rejects the claim, being reported by the New York Times and Israeli newspaper Haaretz, that it's behind the social-media influence campaign, in which researchers say North Americans are being targeted with Islamophobic content.

Israel denies link to Islamophobic campaign in Canada that Meta says originated there

Raed Jaser, convicted in Via Rail terror plot, loses appeal

Raed Jaser, convicted in Via Rail terror plot, loses appeal
Ontario's highest court has upheld the conviction and life sentence of one of the two men found guilty of terrorism charges in a plot to derail a passenger train between Canada and the U.S. Raed Jaser had challenged the outcome of the 2015 trial on several grounds, including that his case should have been severed from that of his co-accused, Chiheb Esseghaier – something he requested twice, unsuccessfully.

Raed Jaser, convicted in Via Rail terror plot, loses appeal

Trudeau congratulates Modi re-election, raises rule of law in India relationship

Trudeau congratulates Modi re-election, raises rule of law in India relationship
Despite huge amounts of trade between Canada and India, relations have been strained for years over efforts by some Canadians to advocate for a separate Sikh homeland to be carved out of India. Those tensions reached a fever pitch last fall when Trudeau publicly accused Modi's government of being involved in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver.

Trudeau congratulates Modi re-election, raises rule of law in India relationship

Police shooting near Winnipeg leaves one dead, one under arrest and one at large

Police shooting near Winnipeg leaves one dead, one under arrest and one at large
A man is dead, a woman is in custody and police are hunting for another man after a shooting south of Winnipeg. Winnipeg police say they were alerted by RCMP early this morning about a stolen truck believed to be occupied by people with guns, heading toward the city.

Police shooting near Winnipeg leaves one dead, one under arrest and one at large

B.C. seniors feel 'invisible and forgotten,' new seniors advocate says

B.C. seniors feel 'invisible and forgotten,' new seniors advocate says
Seniors in British Columbia are feeling "invisible and forgotten" as they fall thorough the cracks in existing provincial support systems, their advocate says. In his first report as B.C.'s senior's advocate, Dan Levitt says affordability was the top concern during visits with hundreds of seniors in more than 20 communities in April.

B.C. seniors feel 'invisible and forgotten,' new seniors advocate says