(UPDATE as of 07/05/2015 at 12:00PM)
Progress is being made on the wildfire in Port Hardy which sparked up Friday night.
Fire Information Officer Ellie Dupont of the Coastal Fire Centre says the fire is 16 hectares and now the southeast flanks close to homes is 20% contained. A 1-hectare spot fire is now 80% contained.
DuPont says last night there was no spread, which is a good sign. She adds there was no lightning, and although the cause hasn’t been confirmed, the Coastal Fire Centre suspects it was human-caused.
The town of Port Hardy is still under a State of Emergency.
But Port Hardy Mayor Hank Bood assures that a State of Emergency doesn’t mean the loss of structures or lives. It means that they’re spending a lot of resources and in order to recoup those expenses a community must declare a state of emergency.
The town is also under a water notice, and residents can only use water for essential use. The water treatment plant is being protected by firefighting equipment. Bood adds residents should do their best to conserve water.
The evacuation notice is still on for residents along two roads: Upper Carnarvon and Mayors Way.
An emergency phone line is open at 250-949-6665 for anyone that has further questions.
