UPDATE (this will be our last of the evening, unless events warrant): An investigation is underway after a fatal accident at the site of the Old Sechelt Mine wildfire Sunday afternoon.
RCMP say the accident happened around 12pm.
The victim was a 61 year old tree faller from Gibsons, who may have been hit by a tree coming down.
“This is a tragic example of how truly dangerous it is for those battling these wildfires, and should serve as a reminder of just how important it is for us all to do our best to prevent these fires from starting in the first place,” said Constable Harrison Mohr with Sunshine Coast RCMP. “We are fortunate to have such brave men and women working to protect our homes and communities.”
The file has been turned over to Worksafe BC.
Fire crews have been having difficulty with the blaze because of both the terrain and the large number of danger trees, and fallers were brought in to clear those trees and help build fire breaks.
WorkSafeBC says its investigators got to the Sunshine Coast late Sunday afternoon, and they expect to release more information on Monday.
Meanwhile, smoke and ash in the air are causing concerns all around the south coast.
The BC Ministry of Environment has now issued an Air Quality Advisory for the Sunshine Coast.
You can see air quality information for the province, here and a map of smoke movement around the province, here.
Environment Canada has issued Special Weather Statement for the Sunshine Coast and Eastern Vancouver Island (as well as other regions). It says, “the smoke is now covering Southern Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland and extends back to the fires in the coast mountains. Weather conditions today have pushed the smoke to the coast but winds will shift tonight to an onshore flow so that cleaner marine air should move in from the west on Monday.”
There’s information on dealing with forest fire smoke at the Canadian Lung Association’s website
As for the fire itself, there’s been little change since Sunday morning. The fire is 80 hectares, 40 per cent contained. Ellie Dupont is a Fire Information Officer:
An evacuation alert remains in place for the Carlson Point area, but the fire has been burning an a North-Northeast direction away from Sechelt itself
SCRD Emergency Program officials say crews are focusing efforts on reinforcing the containment line on the east side of the fire, which is the side that faces cabins, Sechelt Inlet and Sechelt.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District has set up a 24 hour information line at 604-885-6800
On the Island, and evacuation order in Port Hardy, has been lifted, and people are being allowed to return to their homes. However, they remain on alert. Homes around Sproat Lake, where the Dog Mountain fire has grown to 35 hectares, remain under an evacuation order.
UPDATE 3:30 pm July 5: Sunshine Coast RCMP have confirmed a fatal accident at the site of the Old Sechelt Mine fire.
It happened around noon.
RCMP are not releasing many other details, but they say the incident involved someone working on the fire, and not someone who’d wandered into the fire zone or a resident of the area near the fire.
Sergeant Steve Chubey says the investigation has been turned over to WorkSafe BC.
There are unconfirmed reports the victim was one of the fallers. Fire crews have been having difficulty with the blaze because of both the terrain and the large number of danger trees. The fallers have been working in the area to clear those trees and help build fire breaks.
WorkSafe BC says its investigators don’t expect to arrive on the Sunshine Coast until late Sunday afternoon. They won’t have more information to release until Monday.
The stats on the fire have not changed since early Sunday morning. It remains at 80 hectares in size with roughly 40 per cent containment according to the Wildfires of Note details.
An evacuation alert remains in place for the Carlson Point area, but the fire has been burning an a North-Northeast direction away from Sechelt itself
SCRD Emergency Program officials say crews are focusing efforts on reinforcing the containment line on the east side of the fire, which is the side that faces cabins, Sechelt Inlet and Sechelt.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District has set up a 24 hour information line at 604-885-6800
On the Island, evacuation orders are still in place in Port Hardy, where the fire has come to within 300 meters of homes and around Sproat Lake, where the Dog Mountain fire is now pegged at 5 hectares.
Smoke and ash in the air are causing concerns all around the south coast. It’s coming from all 6 active fires in the Coastal zone and being carried down from the Interior because of shifting winds
There’s information on dealing with forest fire smoke from the Canadian Lung Association’s website
You can see air quality information for the province, here and a map of smoke movement around the province, here.
Environment Canada has issued Special Weather Statement for the Sunshine Coast and Eastern Vancouver Island (as well as other regions). It says, “the smoke is now covering Southern Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland and extends back to the fires in the coast mountains.
Weather conditions today have pushed the smoke to the coast but winds will shift tonight to an onshore flow so that cleaner marine air should move in from the west on Monday.”
UPDATE 11:30 am July 5: Evacuation alerts remain in place for Carlson Point, as crews continue to battle the Old Sechelt Mine fire.
It’s now at 80 hectares, and 40 per cent contained.
Smoke and ash in the air are causing concerns all around the south coast.
Fire Information Officer Ellie Dupont says smoke and ash from the Sechelt fire, along with the fires at Sproat Lake, Port Hardy and 3 other active blazes in the Coastal Zone is being spread by an unusual weather pattern.
Dupont says conditions remain challenging for crews working on the Sechelt fire and the focus is on building fire breaks and removing danger trees.
Sunshine Coast RCMP, meanwhile, say “curious on-lookers” are endangering fire crews.
RCMP say some are walking in; others are riding bicycles or motorbikes and ATVs.
Police say they’re putting themselves at risk, but the distraction of dealing with them is putting fire crews in danger as well.
As a result, fire crews and the Sunshine Coast RCMP are asking the public to stay away from the zone South from Mason into Old Minesite Road, East from Halfmoon Crowston and South from Halfmoon Carlson Road.
That entire area has been declared an exclusion zone under the Wildfire Act. Charges can be laid against people illegally entering exclusion zones.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District has set up a 24 hour information line at 604-885-6800
On the Island, evacuation orders are still in place in Port Hardy, where the fire has come to within 300 meters of homes and around Sproat Lake, where the Dog Mountain fire is now pegged at 5 hectares.
There’s information on dealing with forest fire smoke from the Canadian Lung Association’s website
You can see air quality information for the province, here and a map of smoke movement around the province, here.
ORIGINAL STORY: Crews continue to battle the Old Sechelt Mine fire.
Evacuation alerts remain in place for Carlson Point, on Sechelt Inlet, and the Coastal Fire Centre says the blaze is still moving to the north, away from Sechelt itself.
It’s now at 80 hectares, and 40 per cent contained.
Ellie Dupont is a Fire information officer.
The fire is now considered a “Wildfire of Note” by the Coastal Fire Centre. There’s detailed information here.
Health officials say they’ve had a significant increase in respiratory distress calls because of the smoke. The Sechelt Hospital is at capacity. There’s information on dealing with forest fire smoke from the Canadian Lung Association’s website
You can see air quality information for the province, here.
Sunshine Coast RCMP, meanwhile, are warning people against going into the fire zone to have a look.
They say too many people are putting themselves and crews at risk, and creating situations that could spark a fresh blaze.
RCMP warn it could result in criminal charges.
Human activity is the suspected cause of the fire, but it remains under investigation.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District has set up a 24 hour information line at 604-885-6800.
You can see our stories from July 4th, here.
