Small-town gas station pledges to stay open in wildfire evacuation zone

Even as favourable conditions meantsome wildfire-related evacuation orders were lifted Wednesday, oppressive wildfire smoke and blazes will be a reality for a while yet in northeast B.C.

More than 1,300 properties are on evacuation order in the Peace River Regional District due to the Stoddart Creek and Red Creek fires northwest of Fort St. John, as well as the Donnie Creek fire further north of the city.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says the next 48 hours will be crucial to their mitigation efforts in the area, as hot conditions return after a temporary reprieve.

CBC News spoke withpeople in and around the area to find out how they are dealing with the early-season blazes.

Gas station owner pledges to remain

Y.C. Kim is providing an essential service as fires ragearound the tiny community of Wonowon: he runs the only gas station and food provider in the entire village.

The Petro Canada gas station remains running, despite a power outage in the area that has meant the entire operation is working off a generator.

"I'm glad that we are able to serve the community with fuel," Kim told Carolina de Ryk, host of CBC's Daybreak North. "There are dozens of fire trucks that came from all over the province. I see trucks withsigns that say Comox, Salt Spring, Gibsons they come from all over the province."

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The CBC's Liam Britten was in Fort St. John and heard from residents as the alert was called down Wednesday.

Kim's gas station normally employs around 10 people, but many of his staff members have had to evacuate due to the fires. Only four people are currently there, and Kim says he's sleep-deprived.

He hasfamily in Vancouverand says he was supposed to fly there Wednesday morning. But for now, he says he's staying put.

"I have to help the community," he said. "I'm just praying for the fuel delivery will happen in the next few days, so that we can keep helping these firefighting crew."

Embers in the yard

Toni Chittim, who lives with her husband and three children on a property 40 kilometres north of Fort St. John in Shepherd's Inn, saysa blaze got so close to their home on Monday that flames were visible as they drove away.

"The embers from the trees were going into our yard," she said in an interview from a hotel in Fort St. John, as her home remains off-limits in the evacuation zone.

"That was a scary point."

Chittim's house was unscathed by the fire, as were five horses on the property.

"I did think the house was going to be gone that night," Chittim said.

"I laid in this hotel bed, thinking our house was burning down but as long as everyone has each other, then that's all that matters. I'm in my hotel with my three children and the RV in the parking lot, with our clothes on our backs."

Chittim said she didn't know when her family will be allowed to return home.

Praise for wildfire service

Some of those in evacuation zones stayed behind.

Graham O'Day lives in the vicinity of the Red Creek fire, and while he's left already a few times, he decided to stay in his home Wednesday after being in constant communication with the B.C. Wildfire Service.

"We have fire suppression equipment that's been put on our homes with bladders that have about 2,500 gallons of water in them," he told Anita Bathe, host of CBC Vancouver News at 6.

"We do feel very fairly confident in the firefighters and the fire break they put around our subdivision."

O'Day has already had to move his horses to a neighbour, whose property is less susceptible to fires.

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Sonya Aven, who owns Wyld Acres Farm and Arena north of Fort St. John, said she needed to be cautious as out-of-control blazes surround the city.

Many animal owners in the region have been proactive with evacuations, includinga petting zoo owner north of Fort St. John.

O'Day sayshe continues to have faith in firefighters, and thathe will only leave if he sees the flames behind nearby trees.

"They've been amazing at their job and helicopters have been going back and forth daily," he said. "We have all confidence in them."