One week after wildfires broke out dangerously close to the city of Williams Lake, things seem to be settling into a rhythm for residents and workers remaining in the lakecity.
The community, home to about 12,000 residents within the city and another estimated 12,000 in the surrounding area, is still under an evacuation alert however there is a greater sense of calm over the city now that wasn’t there in the early days.
Williams Lake CAO Milo MacDonald said that calm can be attributed to measures officials were able to take since the weather has co-operated enough to allow crews to build fire guards around neighbourhoods and time for extra reinforcements to get here to help.
“We have caught some breaks, for sure,” said MacDonald Friday. “We’ve been lucky.”
The Williams Lake RCMP, who were tasked with handing out evacuation orders and alerts while securing empty neighbourhoods, dealing with traffic congestion and core policing such as looting, now have the assistance of more than 100 additional police officers to secure the city. Currently as many as 60 per cent of Williams Lake residents have self evacuated.
So far, police have announced at least two arrests of suspects accused of stealing property while other suspected looters were also arrested in 100 Mile House, which is currently under an evacuation order due to the Gustafson wildfire.
Staff Sgt. Del Byron said he’s been overwhelmed by the support given by local residents, who have offered officers meals and stopped by to thank them for their efforts.
“This is an amazing community. I have residents coming up asking if we are OK and if we have enough food. The members from the Lower Mainland can’t believe how friendly our locals are,” Byron said, who along with many other officers have worked several days straight. “We are so lucky to live in the greatest country in the world and a great little town.”
Meanwhile, the Williams Lake Fire Department has received about 80 extra members from across the province who have come in to help. The reprieve in the weather has allowed those members to conduct some strategic planning within the city boundaries in the event fire does reach the city. Part of that planning includes assessing risks and connecting with home owners.
Fire Chief Des Webster said the greatest threat for the city of Williams Lake continues to be the White Lake wildfire, located at the end of the Williams Lake River Valley, just west across the Fraser River. Fire crews have made good progress on a 10 to 15 kilometre fire guard which they hope will protect the city in the event of gusting westerly winds.
Rural fire departments, such as Miocene, 150 Mile and Wildwood, have all been hailed heroes, and continue to work to protect homes and properties just outside the city limits. Resources are also coming in for those volunteer departments from as far away as Pit Meadows and Metchosin.
Wildfires continue to ravage the Chilcotin however, where ranchers and loggers largely fended for themselves in the early days of the Hanceville fire using their own equipment to make fire guards and sticking together to save homes in the Riske Creek area
The community of Anaham Reserve are also inside the evacuated zone in the Chilcotin and have their own fire fighters protecting houses on the east side of the reserve which are threatened by encroaching wildfires. Ground crews from the BC Wildfire Service and air support are also in the area.
Watch for more on the efforts of Riske Creek residents and a visit to the Anaham Reserve at www.wltribune.com.
There is also a wildfire growing in the Kleena Kleene area and the Hanceville fire is moving closer to the Fletcher Lake area.
Hydro has also been a part of the wildfire story. Since fires broke out Friday, BC Hydro and Allteck crews worked around the clock replacing burnt power poles and restoring power to grateful residents at 150 Mile House, Sugar Cane, Anaham Reserve, Riske Creek, Stone Reserve and Miller Ranch.
Cariboo Regional District Chair Al Richmond, who has been evacuated from his own home in the 108 Ranch area for the past week, travelled to Prince George yesterday for meetings.
He said residents who have self evacuated to Prince George should just stay put.
“Really, if you are just trying to get home to Williams lake, if something happens in Williams lake this weekend you just become another body that has to be moved out so I would suggest if you are here in Prince George, the air is clean, the people are friendly, and you have health care, so are you really going to add to the burden that the folks there are feeling,” he said.
“You have to remember on the return to Williams lake. The air here you can breath. The air in Williams lake is not good to breath. You also have to remember in Williams lake you don’t have a hospital anymore, you have an emergency room. You have to remember that Safeway and Save-On-Foods are opened, (but) Walmart is closed, Canadian Tire is closed you can’t get a haircut. I tried to get one today.”
Cariboo Centre Centre deputy manager Mark Hamm predicts the evacuation alert could remain in Williams Lake for several weeks.
“I made that based on the fact that we have such a dry forest right now, we’ve got major fires burning and those fires are burning in proximity to Williams lake. It’s going to take some time for us to get them under control so that’s why I expect that the alert will remain in place for some time. Richmond also said that if you haven’t received a phone call from him and you live in 150 Mile House, your house is fine.“