‘Pretty scary’: Pemberton residents ready to leave as wildfire fight continues

The community of Pemberton, British Columbia, is on high alert as a rapidly expanding wildfire threatens the area. The Signal Hill wildfire, which ignited Wednesday afternoon, has grown to an estimated 97 hectares and is burning in close proximity to the town of about 3,600 residents, prompting an evacuation alert.

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It’s been very spectacular to see the fire this close. I mean, we had many fires here in the past, but the fire is close to town. It is pretty scary. But luckily, we do have a lot of water sources. The lake and Green River is nearby.

Residents are making preparations to leave at a moment's notice. Margit de Haan, owner of the GreenWood Country Inn, described the situation as "pretty scary" due to the fire's closeness to town, despite Pemberton's access to water sources like the nearby lake and Green River. She has been moving valuable items to her concrete-walled garage for safekeeping, reflecting on what truly matters in such circumstances. Power outages occurred in parts of the town due to the fire burning near power lines, but electricity has since been restored.

Crews have been working through the night in an effort to protect the community from the blaze. Wildfire officials are warning of a potential increase in fire activity in the coming days, citing forecasts of lightning strikes and warm, dry conditions. This situation underscores the ongoing challenges faced by British Columbia in managing wildfire seasons.

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So yeah, it makes you realize what’s valuable to you and what’s not. Certain things I’m like, OK, they can burn down. That’s OK. But other things I really treasure. Yeah, but the most important part of it all is to stay alive.

Premier David Eby stated that wildfire management is a priority for upcoming first ministers' meetings. He indicated that British Columbia is well-prepared to share its expertise, given its unfortunate early and extensive experience with wildfires. The province's proactive approach to wildfire response, including specialized training and research, positions it as a leader in the field, albeit born from necessity.

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Given where we are, the amount of training, specialty and research I would be reluctant in handing over because B.C. is well ahead of other provinces in responding to this, unfortunately, because we were affected sooner.