Wildfire Threatens Canadian Gas Fields, Oil Workers Evacuated

wildfire
(Photo courtesy of Tumbler Ridge News’ Facebook page.)

According to West Coast Native News, B.C. residents have been ordered to evacuate the vicinity of gas fields near “Red Deer Creek, Ojay and Grizzly south,” southeast of Tumbler Ridge, due to a fire believed to have been sparked by lightning.

Spokesperson for B.C. Wildfire Management Branch Jill Kelsh told CBC News that dry winds will likely increase the fire’s magnitude.

“It’s very active at this time. The last estimated size was about 650 hectares. We do expect it to grow or potentially double in size over the next 24 hours.”


Tumbler Ridge News (TRN) issued the following press release Tuesday:

 

That press release was followed up a few hours later with another, as follows:

 

Just one hour later the following was posted, as well, followed by several other informational posts for local residents:

 

The fire has since quadrupled. That translates into approximately 6,400 acres or 10 square miles.

The evacuation warning issued by Peace River Regional District Tuesday spans as far west as Wapiti Provincial Park, down to the southern tip of the park, and east clear to Alberta. Specifically, the warning was especially concerned with the region just south of the Wapiti River. It urges those in the designated areas to flee, closing but not locking gates and doors. The warning also strongly urges folks to take whatever important essential, irreplaceable items with them they can. Some 200 residents at just two of the oil and gas camps have been instructed to leave the area. More will follow, most likely, as the fire continues to spread.

 

Along with ground crews assisted by helicopters and airtankers, over 70 firefighters are doing whatever they can to subdue and extinguish the blaze. The Tumbler Ridge News posted on its Facebook page:

“Just a reminder, the evacuation order is for the camps located 50+ km out of town, and the fire is not in any way threatening Tumbler Ridge.

Take a look at the interactive map for a better understanding of the location and breadth of the fire.

Wednesday afternoon, TRN posted the following update:

 

One hour later they posted their final and most recent update on the fire:

 

It is examples such as this that, perhaps, bring home the point of environmental exploitation and the nefarious means by which consumers facilitate their needs and desires. With the predominate use of such dirty fuel so rampantly consumed that folks are compelled, even kid themselves into feeling forced into providing a means to reach and capitalize off the demand, even very antiquated means such as pipelines will be used to transport the goods. No matter that such lengthy, vast pipelines in a struggling, corporate-dominated political, economic and social climate such as ours results in next to no oversight and nearly as little upkeep. Whatever works. Put a bandage here and there and keep producing — that’s the game, especially in the gas and oil industry. Such greed and corner-cutting, as we’ve all seen, often results in tragedy in a number of ways.


But, when nothing’s gone wrong, when for once the fault of a great blaze, explosion or contamination is not on behalf of a negligent company but due to a proverbial “act of God” — nature stepping in and doing what she likes, as she is prone to do from time to time — things can and do still sometimes go tragically wrong. When will we, not just as Americans, but as a world, rid ourselves of such roulette games punching up every land and country like a deli sandwich with too much Swiss cheese? When will we learn that the cost in certain industries is far greater than the gains? When will we learn that the “gains” are horded by the few, and the tragedies borne by the many, by the average worker, citizen, and by the community (and if you haven’t realized it yet, community is home.)

For more information, visit the Peace River Regional District’s page.

You can view a short video on the fire here.

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Dylan HockDylan Hock is a writer, professor, videographer and social activist. He earned an MFA in Writing from Naropa University in 2003 and has been an Occupier since Oct., 2011, both nationally and locally in Michigan. He is published in a number of little magazines and has an essay on the muzzling of Ezra Pound included in the anthology Star Power: The Impact Of Branded Celebrity due out July of 2014 by Praeger. He is also a contributing writer for Take Ten, Addicting Info and Green Action News. Follow him on Google+! Hire him for freelance writing and editing projects through Elance.