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Sechelt fire grows, residents put on evacuation alert

Residents of Carlson Point have been notified they may have to evacuate their homes as the forest fire two kilometres northwest of Sechelt continued growing Friday due to high winds. By 3 p.m., the fire was estimated to be 35 hectares (86.

Residents of Carlson Point have been notified they may have to evacuate their homes as the forest fire two kilometres northwest of Sechelt continued growing Friday due to high winds.

By 3 p.m., the fire was estimated to be 35 hectares (86.5 acres) in size, Marg Drysdale of the Coastal Fire Centre said.

 
A briefing was held at 10 a.m. in the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) boardroom where SCRD emergency preparedness coordinator Bill Elsner announced the evacuation alert for Carlson Point.
 
“We’re drafting up an evacuation alert notice which basically says ‘there’s a fire in your area, you might have to leave at short notice,’ which means that we’re not going to be giving them any notice.
 
We’re going to be going in there and saying ‘you have to leave,’” Elsner said.
 
There are a total of 18 residences at Carlson Point, which are mainly accessed by water, although there’s road access within walking distance of most homes.
 
At press time the road could be used despite the forest fire that was approaching.
 
“As soon as the road access is compromised for those people, that is actually criteria to put them under an evacuation order,” Elsner said.
 
Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Unit 12 was tasked to deliver the alert notices to Carlson Point residents Friday.
 
Acting Sechelt fire Chief Trevor Pike noted ash and embers have been spotted falling in Kinnikinnick Park, kilometres from the blaze, and said the fire department is conducting regular patrols of the area.
 
He encouraged homeowners in Sechelt to clear off their roofs and evestroughs of any debris that could provide fuel for a falling ember.
 
“They can come into the Sechelt Fire Department and we’ll provide them with a fire smart manual that tells them exactly how to do that,” Pike said.
 
The blaze was originally called in to the Sechelt Fire Department as a grass fire up Mason Road at about 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 2.
 
Once on scene, firefighters found a two-hectare fire about four kilometres up the logging road, accessed via the end of Mason Road.
 
fire
Source: Christine Wood Photo
 
“It was growing significantly fast due to wind conditions,” Pike said, noting the fire department was able to battle the fire for a while because the wind was pushing it away from them, allowing for an escape route back down the logging road.
 
“As the event progressed and we got later into the evening, the winds started to change direction somewhat and the fire started working back toward us and our escape routes, and we thankfully got some support by air tankers that were able to come in and maintain our escape route.”
 
The Sechelt department turned over command to the Coastal Fire Centre, which is responsible for coordinating wildfire response in the area.
 
The Coastal Fire Centre deployed ground crews, two helicopters and two bombers to the fire, which Elsner said is now the centre’s “highest priority.”
 
The helicopters spent much of Thursday evening taking full buckets of water from Wormy Lake to douse the fire. The bombers delivered fire retardant repeatedly.
 
Representatives from the Coastal Fire Centre did not attend the briefing Friday morning and Elsner said he hadn’t received much information from them to relay yet, but he stressed they were the ones in charge.
 
“This is not a fire that’s being managed by the regional district or a local fire department. It’s the fire centre’s fire,” he said.
 
Elsner said residents wanting more information about the fire should contact the Coastal Fire Centre at 1-250-951-4209.
 
Information is also being updated on the SCRD’s website at www.scrd.ca as it becomes available.
 
If more evacuation alerts are issued, Elsner said the public will be made aware through the SCRD website and social media feeds, Coast Reporter and CKAY 91.7 FM. Residents who are in need of evacuation will also be hand delivered a notice at home.
 
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
 

UPDATE: Notes from Sunshine Coast Emergency Program Coordinator Bill Elsner approx 6 p.m. Friday:

Crews are working to contain the fire at logging roads and heavy equipment is being brought in to strengthen lines. There is too much smoke for air tankers. There is no estimate on containment of the fire at this time. 
 
All Carlson Point residents have been notified of the evacuation alert. Most are choosing to leave. The lower access road is now blocked by falling trees and equipment and residents have been told to use the Trout Lake road.
 
RCMP are bringing a boat into the Inlet to monitor and support operations if evacuations become necessary. 
 
Residents of Sechelt are being informed to call 911 if they see burning embers landing. The Emergency Operations Centre will remain at level 1.