BC Hydro pauses Site C work due to wildfire

Work on the $16-billion BC Hydro Site C Dam project near Fort St. John has been put on pause due to the threat of wildfire.

In a tweet, the utility provider confirmed it was “closely monitoring the Stoddart Creek” fire, which was an estimated 20,000 hectares in size Tuesday morning.

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The wildfire is located northwest of Fort St. John. The dam site, located just southwest of the city, is also included in the evacuation alert area issued by local governments.

“At this time, the project has not been evacuated. We remain under an evacuation alert that was issued yesterday. As a precaution, we have temporarily suspended work on the project and we’ve asked crews to remain in camp for easier coordination,” explained Greg Alexis, manager of public affairs for Site C, adding the priority right now is the safety of workers.

“At the moment, we estimate the closest fire is about 30 kilometres away from camp. So, as a precaution, we have asked workers to remain in camp and suspended work last night and today.”

We are closely monitoring the Stoddart Creek wildfire. The Site C project is currently under an evacuation alert. As a precaution, we have suspended work at the dam site and are prepared to evacuate if necessary.

— sitecproject (@sitecproject) May 16, 2023

Alexis says there are currently just under 2,200 workers staying in camp on the project. He notes BC Hydro is in constant contact with workers, with updates provided.

“We’re asking workers to stay in camp in the event we do need to evacuate,” he told CityNews. “With our camp operator, we’ve been able to secure enough buses and vehicles to safely remove employees from the site in the event we need to evacuate.”

It’s unclear how long work on the project will be suspended, with Alexis saying BC Hydro is in contact with the BC Wildfire Service and Emergency Management BC on this “dynamic situation.”

The suspension of work is not expected to increase the cost of the project at this time. Alexis says work will resume once it is safe to do so.

The Stoddart Creek wildfire was discovered on Saturday, May 13, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

In addition to an evacuation alert for the entirety of Fort St. John and the District of Taylor, the fire has prompted evacuations, including of the Blueberry River First Nations.