In British Columbia, the traditional "widespread forest fire season" is generally June ~ September, but unfortunately, in May this year, there are already fires out of control:
Fort Nelson, BC has activated a red alert for wildfires, CBC reported: The mayor declared this morning that "the fast-spreading wildfires are just 1.5 kilometers from the western edge of town!" ”
"The B.C. Forest Fire Service (BCWS) said: "The situation is very critical because of the high winds that brought the 53-square-kilometre fire that originated in Lake Park to Fort Nelson to the east. ”
"Whether the fires continue to spread depends entirely on the weather, and residents are already very dangerous," said Rob Fraser, mayor of the North Rocky Mountains region. ”
Fort Nelson and surrounding towns are keeping the fire as far away from the flammable area as possible, and firefighters from the surrounding area have assembled and are doing their best to contain the fire.
4,000 people were evacuated and ran 800 kilometers to evacuate
Since the end of the week, the intensifying fires have sent emergency evacuation orders in and around Fort Nelson, forcing 4,000 people to leave their homes.
"The decision is difficult, but it must be made, because since May 5, the surrounding wildfires have expanded to 600 square kilometres, the size of five Vancouver cities, and a significant portion of the fires are out of control," BCWS said.
The situation deteriorated rapidly when strong winds knocked down a tree on a power line on Friday afternoon, triggering a fire that stretched 10 kilometers and was adjacent to the town.
Because of the scarcity of towns around Fort Nelson, 4,000 people had to drive 380 kilometers to Fort St. John's to take refuge, or another 440 kilometers to Prince George, a large inland city with a large reception capacity, for a total distance of 800 kilometers!
The small town of Fort Nelson is located in northeastern British Columbia, close to the Yukon and Alberta borders and 1,600 kilometers from Vancouver. While Metro Vancouver residents don't have to worry about the fires spreading, one thing must be emphasized: this is May, and who knows what will happen this summer?
The town faced the flames, but some people were determined not to leave
The evacuation order at Fort Nelson is reminiscent of Canada's largest town fire of the 21st century: the Fort McMurray Fire – the largest evacuation in Alberta's history, with more than 80,000 people evacuated and 2,400 homes destroyed without any deaths.
Despite this precedent, not everyone responded to the evacuation order at Fort Nelson, with some residents saying, "Even if the fire does burn, I won't leave," and about 100 households said so.
Why do they confront the danger? The reason is moving. Resident Ian Langstaff said: "We can't give up on this community, we can't let it be engulfed by fires, and the people who stay behind and I will do everything we can to help firefighters and remove flammable and explosive materials." ”
The remaining residents vowed to keep Fort Nelson safe and keep the town running. "This is where we were born and raised, and we are not going anywhere".
For example, Bowinn Ma, director of the B.C. Emergency Preparedness Department, believes that "professional things should be done for those who live in Anuye", but the residents of Fort Nelson praise these warriors who protect their homeland.
Fort Nelson, the "Yellow Knife of B.C."
Fort Nelson, which is directly threatened by the fires, is remote but not a lonely city, and it has a nickname: the Yellow Knife of British Columbia.
Because of its proximity to the center of the aurora arc, Fort Nelson is one of the most suitable destinations in the whole of B.C. to observe the auroras, such as the super auroras that were staged around the world two days ago.
Every March, Fort Nelson hosts a grand Northern Lights Festival, which includes singing and dancing in addition to the Northern Lights. For B.C., which is not a mecca for Northern Lights, Fort Nelson's Aurora Festival is significant.
In fact, every town in British Columbia has its own story and unique experience, such as the town of Lytton, which burned down in 2021, and has a historic Chinese American Museum.
In the face of relentless natural disasters, every town is fragile, and it is not known when it will encounter the unexpected, or even cease to exist, and face comprehensive reconstruction.
A warming climate and high levels of forest fires are putting B.C., the province with the richest forest resources, at the highest level of threat. Everyone doesn't want to see such a situation, but they all have to face this reality.