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Historic Barkerville Now Under Evacuation Order Due to Antler Creek Wildfire

Historic Barkerville Now Under Evacuation Order Due to Antler Creek Wildfire

An evacuation warning has been issued for the Barkerville area, impacting the historic Barkerville Town and Park due to bushfire activity in the area

The evacuation alert for the historic gold rush town of Barkerville has been upgraded to an evacuation order since 3:48 p.m. July 21 due to the bushfire.

An evacuation order has now been issued by the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for 431 properties in the Barkerville area. The alert covers 62,488 hectares and includes the Barkerville Historic Town & Park.

The historic city had already closed its gates to tourists for the rest of the day due to smoke from the wildfire and fire trucks and equipment driving around the site installing sprinklers to protect the structure.

The Antler Creek wildfire south of Barkerville is estimated to be 1,350 hectares in size. Conditions are currently hot, dry and windy, and there is extreme fire behavior.

At 12:00 noon on July 21, a warning was issued for the area.

Due to the immediate danger to the safety of people from fire, members of the RCMP or other groups will expedite this action. People are advised to leave the area immediately.

If you stay nearby, you do so at your own risk. Emergency services may not be able to help you.

The evacuation route continues west on Highway 26 to Quesnel, where an Emergency Services Centre (ESS) has been set up at the Quesnel and District Arts and Recreation Centre, 500 N. Star Rd., Quesnel BC

A column of smoke from a nearby forest fire could be seen rising from the historic town all day.

Bowron Lake Provincial Park is not included in the order area.

There are currently 11 fires burning in the area on the BC Wildfire map.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:

You must leave the area immediately.
Gather your family: bring a neighbor or someone who needs help.
Only take important items (medication, wallet, bag and keys) with you if they are immediately available.
Take your pet to a kennel or keep him on a leash.
Close all windows and doors.
Do not turn off your natural gas.
Close the gates (bolt them), but do not lock them.
Do not use more vehicles than necessary to evacuate.
Only use the telephone in case of an emergency.

You must register for the BC Services Card app to access the self-registration tool, which reduces wait times for evacuees and assists with the referral process. https://ess.gov.bc.ca/
More information will be released as it becomes available. Visit the CRD Emergency Operations Facebook and the CRD website at cariboord.ca/EOC. For more information, contact the CRD Emergency Information Line at 1-866-759-4977 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily).

Residents are encouraged to register for the Cariboo Chilcotin Emergency Notification System to receive a text, phone call or email regarding evacuation warnings and orders.