Smoke turns day to night

Colin Dacre - Aug 17, 2018 / 12:03 pm | Story: 234191

Photo: Mark Askew - Hell Yeah Prince George

9:30 a.m. Prince George

More than 1,300 evacuees have already checked in at evacuee reception centres in Prince George, as residents of the Nechako plateau flee the mammoth Shovel Lake wildfire.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says the fire, burning north of Fraser Lake and southwest from Fort St. James, has grown to nearly 80,000 hectares.

“The weather is expected to be warm and dry today, with wind gusts from the west up to 30 km/hr,” the BCWS said online. “These conditions have led to a fire behaviour advisory being implemented due to potential increased fire activity.”

All of Fort St. James is under an evacuation alert due to the blaze's progress toward Highway 27, the town’s only paved route out. Additionally, if the electrical lines along the highway are damaged, the town will be in the dark.

Structural protection units from across the province have been sent to the area to protect homes in Fort St. James and Fraser Lake. Northern Health has also moved all patients from the Fort St James hospital, although the ER remains open.

Evacuees are being sent to Prince George, where there is reportedly at least a two hour wait to register at the CN Centre. Smoke was so thick this morning the sky was indiscernible from night.