'Let the firefighters do their job' says B.C. official after evacuees stay behind, putting lives at risk

Thousands of properties remain under evacuation order Monday after high winds fanned dozens of wildfires across B.C., pushing flames toward severalcommunities.

Some evacuees are staying behind to protect their properties, an actionofficials are condemning after 10 people hadto berescued from the White Rock Lake fire Sunday night.

Officials with the CentralOkanaganEmergency Operations Centre said firefighters hadto bepulled away from controllingthe blaze and put in more dangerin order tosavepeople who deliberatelyignored evacuation orders.

"I think that [situation] speaks for itself. We really encourage people to gather your things and vacate the area to let the firefighters do their job. It's all about protecting lives," said the operation centres director, BrianReardon.

The fire stretchesfor nearly 650 square kilometres betweenKamloopsand Vernon in the southern Interior and hasput more than3,000 people under evacuation orders as of Monday afternoon.

Reardonconfirmed Monday the White Rock Lake fire has "significantlydamaged" up to 60 buildings in theKillineyBeach area, north ofKelownaon the edge ofOkanaganLake.

WATCH | Thousands of B.C. properties under evacuation orders:

Wildfires snake through more of Okanagan

3 years ago

Duration 2:32

More communities were put under evacuation alerts in the Okanagan as smoke blanketed the region, hampering firefighters efforts and wildfires blocked some peoples escape routes.

Many of the structures destroyed were homes and vacation properties, as well as some rural buildings.

Wayne Carson, the regional director for the CentralOkanaganand former firefighter, says most of the people staying behind have no idea what they're doing and that it's scary to witness.

"When this fire came toKillineyBeach last night, it was rank six. You're not going to survive the rank six fire," he toldCBCNews.

"And to even take that chance, why? You just put other people's lives at risk."

MarkHealey, incident commander for the B.C. Wildfire Service, says evacuees staying behindcan impede operations as firefightersmight not beable to use certain tactics. It also puts the firefighters and theindividualsthemselves in danger.

He says firefightersoften lay out large-diameter hoses to prevent fire from reaching properties, which can trap people who staybehind.

Thousands of evacuations throughout province

Many of the largest and most dangerous fires are burning in the southern Interior.

Sunday night, the City of Armstrong, about 75 kilometres north ofKelowna, issued an evacuation alert for the entire community of roughly 5,000 as the White Rock Lake fire burned about 20 kilometres outside of town.

Another wildfire of concern caused "limited damage" in WestKelowna, to the south, due to the separate Mount Law fire. As of Monday afternoon, more than 3,000 people in the area were on evacuation alert, preparing to leave their homes at any given moment.

The entire city of Merritt is also on evacuation alert after the July Mountain and Brook Creek fire merged Sunday. The fires also resulted in the closing of theCoquihallaHighway between Hope and Merritt on Sunday night. It remained closed as of 3:30 p.m. local time Monday.

B.C. Public Safety Minister MikeFarnworthsaid Emergency Management B.C. is working on plans for possible mass evacuations out of parts of the Interior, particularly if highways out of those communitiesremainclosed.

Routeswill be openedas soon as possible toensuresafe passage out of evacuated communities, saidRickManwaring, deputy minister of forest lands, natural resources operations and rural development.

Officials urge tourists to avoid southernInterior

As wildfire conditions are not expected to let up any time soon, officials are pleading with tourists to stay away from affected communities.

"Do not travel to fire affected areas for nonessential reasons,"Farnworthsaid Monday.

"If you're planning to travel to those areas, it's time to change your plans."

The B.C. Wildfire Service has also askedpeople to stay away from areas close to the fires toensurethe access and safety of first responders. Boaters are also being asked to avoid areas of the lake being used by air support.

Farnworthpointed out people are already being discouraged from visiting the CentralOkanagandue to an outbreak ofCOVID-19.

"This is not the time to visit or travel through," he said.

Meanwhile, Premier John Horgan has been noticeably absent over the last few days, raising concerns on social media.

In an emailed statement, his press secretary said hehas been providingdirection to ministers while on vacation.

"While spending time with his family away from the office, Premier Horganhas been briefeddaily sometimes several times a day on the important issues and crises facing BritishColumbians," the statement said.

Farnworthsaid the premier is doing "exactly what heis supposedto bedoing."

"Our Premier has been in complete solidarity with all the people of British Columbia," hesaid.

Horganis expectedto returnThursday.

Anyoneplacedunderanevacuationordershouldleavetheareaimmediately.

Evacuationcentreshavebeensetupthroughouttheprovincetoassistanyoneevacuatingfrom acommunityunderthreatfrom awildfire.

Tofindthecentreclosesttoyou,visittheEmergencyManagementB.C.website.

Evacueesare encouragedto register withEmergencySupport Servicesonline,whether or notthey access services at anevacuationcentre.