Tumbler Ridge wildfire came within 3km of community: district

People in the northeastern B.C. community of Tumbler Ridge have learned the wildfire which forced them from their homes came within three kilometres of their district.

The revelation comes after a frantic evacuation in which more than 2,000 people have been ordered to leave.

“The wind direction shifted to push the fire parallel to the ridge, about 3 kilometres away from Tumbler Ridge,” the district shared on its Facebook page Friday morning. “Ground crews worked to protect homes and property, with cooler temperatures and a change in wind direction predicted along with a chance of light rain in the next 24 hours.”

Read More: Entire community of Tumbler Ridge evacuated due to wildfire danger

The good news is that while the fire did cross Highway 52, it did not cross a key ridge.

The situation has attracted the interest of the premier.

“Our thoughts are with all the families and people who live in Tumbler Ridge who are under evacuation right now,” Premier David Eby said during a Friday news conference. “British Columbia is facing the risk of a very significant forest fire season. We are seeing in Eastern Canada and increasingly impacting the United States as well, a significant wildfire season there.”

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And Eby suggested we can expect more of this in the years ahead.

“Without a doubt, we are seeing increased frequency of these events due to climate change,” Eby said. “I want to, first of all, thank all the remarkable people in British Columbia who are on the front lines, fighting these fires.”

Meanwhile, the BC Wildfire Service said Friday that fires along the Fraser River are not threatening any lives or property.