‘Completely unacceptable’: Farnworth scolds B.C. residents defying wildfire evacuation orders

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) — As B.C. wildfires continue to force hundreds to flee their homes, the province’s top cop says the decision of some to stay put after an evacuation order has been issued is “completely unacceptable.”

On Friday, Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth said orders were ignored or defied Thursday night, as the White Rock Lake fire tore through the area between Kamloops and Vernon.

“Last night firefighters with the BC wildfire service once again, put their lives on the line to help evacuate people who chose to ignore evacuation orders,” he said.

“A small group of people found themselves being overrun by the rapid advance of this fire. While our crews were able to get the residents to safety, these brave firefighters very nearly paid with their lives.”

Farnworth characterized the fast-moving fire in the southern Interior as the province’s top priority, noting thousands have already been ordered to leave a number of communities. It is estimated at 45,000 hectares as of Friday, and fierce winds are fueling further growth and hindering the efforts to contain it.

“We know this is an incredibly stressful and difficult time for those who’ve been ordered to evacuate, and for those who are preparing to evacuate. Your safety is paramount and BC Wildfire’s recommendations to implement these evacuation orders and alerts are not made lightly. They reflect the tremendous growth and fire behaviour seen so far on this incident,” he said.

“I would like to speak directly to those who think they know more than the experts, those who think they do not need to immediately follow the directions of their local authority. So let me be clear, staying behind in an evacuated area not only risks your own life and the lives of your family, but it also risks the lives of the responders tasked with fighting the fire. No property is worth risking lives.”

.@mikefarnworthbc confirms structures have been lost, but too soon to assess how many and he’s angrily warning “no property is worth risking lives”.
He’s addressing people who refused to comply with evacuation orders putting firefighters at risk. #bcpoli @NEWS1130

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) August 6, 2021

Farnworth also had some choice words for people trying to get close-up photos or video of the fires.

“They also need to avoid doing things like going out into Okanagan Lake and boating close to a fire in it and interrupting helicopters that are trying to grab water. Or putting a drone in the air thinking, ‘Oh, isn’t this great to take a picture of the fire.’ What they’re doing is really hindering the fighting of that fire.”

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 The BC Wildfire Service is echoing the calls to heed evacuation orders immediately.

“When we see people staying behind in those evacuation orders it’s disappointing and it’s unacceptable. It puts us in a very challenging situation, it can put our first responders’ lives at risk, it can put the lives of those who stay behind at risk,” says Fire Information Officer Jean Smart.

“People have died from this in other areas. The last thing that we want to see is to have a death from this wildfire or any other fire.”