The Lytton Creek and July Mountain wildfires burned out of control through June, July, and August, resulting in thousands of Evacuation Orders and Alerts, as well as extensive damage to homes and businesses.
Key infrastructure was also damaged by the fire, including BC Hydro power poles and lines, which disconnected many people from electricity.
“As a result of the July Mountain wildfire, there was significant damage to our infrastructure along the Coquihalla that resulted in 94 customers being without power,” said Mary Anne Coules, Community Relations for BC Hydro.
“Twenty-five power poles needed to be replaced along the main highway, and there were an additional 50 poles that were damaged. Crews were brought in from both the Lower Mainland and the Interior to remove danger trees and repair our infrastructure. Repairs have now been completed. We were able to restore 42 customers on Tuesday, July 24, and the remaining customers were restored on Thursday, August 26.”
Along Hwy 8, several residences were lost under extreme, aggressive fire conditions earlier in the month of August. Those who had homes to return to, were left quite literally in the dark with no electricity connected to their properties.
“Our infrastructure along the Highway 8 corridor between Spences Bridge and Merritt was damaged by the Lytton Creek fire, resulting in an outage to 42 customers,” said Coules.
“Over 50 power poles needed to be replaced before we could reenergize this area. This work was completed earlier this week, and all customers were restored on Tuesday, August 24.”
Although fire season is ongoing, much of the BC Hydro restoration work related to wildfires in the Interior has been completed. In the area of the White Rock Lake fire, more than 3,100 customers have had their power restored. Work continued in the Westside Road, 6 Mile Road and Killiney Beach areas, where 69 customers remained without power.
“For customers returning home after an extended power outage, we recommend that they avoid turning on numerous electronics and appliances all at once to give their electrical system a chance to stabilize,” Coules advised.
“Customers should also check the guidelines provided by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for information on how to handle refrigerated and frozen food after an extended outage. All clocks, automatic timers, and alarms will need to be reset, and any supplies in the emergency kits that were used will need to be restocked.”
BC Hydro has also announced that evacuees may be eligible for an electricity credit.
“Residential and commercial customers who are affected by an evacuation order are eligible to receive a credit for the electricity consumed for the duration of the time they’re out of their home, if the order is for five days or longer,” said Coules.
“This credit will automatically be applied to their next bill. We also offer flexible bill payment plans for after they return home.”
