A wildfire is moving toward Mackenzie Avenue businesses and is causing structural damage, according to the mayor.
Authorities in Williams Lake, a city of over 10,000 people in central Interior British Columbia, have issued an evacuation notice to some of its citizens due to a wildfire that broke out on Sunday night.
The authorities had earlier on Sunday night advised people living near Mackenzie Avenue to prepare to flee. Subsequently, it extended the notifications to cover all Westridge properties, Fairview Drive, Woodland Drive, Tolko’s Lakeview Mill, and Country Club Boulevard homeowners.
The wildfire, which is around two tenths of a hectare in size, is categorized as out of control by the B.C. Wildfire Service, meaning that it “is spreading or it is anticipated to spread beyond the current perimeter, or control line.”
The fire was detected at approximately 6 p.m. PT, according to Mayor Surinderpal Rathor, although the cause is yet unknown. Although there was no evacuation order issued on Sunday night, Rathor stated that residents are urged to be prepared to leave.
“I ask everyone in the community to maintain composure and avoid driving. In order to shift things around and avoid getting in the way, a lot of large machinery and water tankers are traveling, Rathor told CBC News.
In order to guarantee that emergency personnel have access to enough water, the city has also sent out a notification asking citizens to conserve water.
The mayor stated that the fire is located in the northwest of the city in the River Valley area and is moving toward businesses along Mackenzie Avenue. Some structural damage has been caused, though the full amount of the damage is still unknown.
Social media posts featuring images and videos indicate that water bombers and wildfire workers have been sent to the River Valley region.
According to fire officials, 16 of the 317 active wildfires in British Columbia had begun in the past 24 hours.
