Wildfire season in BC appears to be off to an early and explosive start. Several wildfires were reported in BC’s central Interior and Cariboo regions, with the Quesnel area Burgess Creek fire being the largest blaze of the young season. The BC Wildfire Service says the Burgess Creek wildfire, located about 45 kilometres south of Quesnel, is listed as out of control and expanded from about half-a-kilometre in size to 16 square kilometres over the weekend. The Wildfire Service also says new fires were reported in the Vanderhoof and Fraser Lake areas.
Killer whale experts say they are confident about a trapped young orca calf’s survival chances in the open ocean if a rescue team can successfully remove it from a tidal lagoon on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. Marine scientist Jared Towers says the female orca, estimated to be about two years old, has been exhibiting signs of resiliency throughout the month she’s been trapped in the lagoon. He says confirmed reports that the young killer whale is now eating supplied seal meat and was observed over the weekend catching its own herring in the lagoon are signs of the orca’s adaptability under difficult circumstances. A plan to catch the young killer whale in a net, place it in a sling and transport it to the ocean where it would be released and possibly reunite with extended family members was put on hold Friday to allow the rescue team to consider new capture options.
RCMP say the search for two missing kayakers was continuing in waters as of Sunday near Sidney, BC, just north of Victoria. Thirty-six-year-old Daniel MacAlpine and 26-year-old Nicolas West were reported missing Saturday. The two men were kayaking from D’Arcy Island to Island View Beach, but were not reported to make the shore. The RCMP say the men were in a teal blue fibreglass, two-person, tandem kayak.
Police in Abbotsford say they are investigating the death of an unidentified woman who appears to be the victim of a collision on Highway 11, known locally as the Abbotsford-Mission highway. The Abbotsford Police Department says the collision occurred Saturday night in the 5300 block of Highway 11. Police say they were called to the area at about 11:30 p.m. where they found the woman, who appeared to have been seriously injured and was pronounced dead at the scene. Abbotsford police say they are trying to identify the female victim and are looking to members of the public who may have information or were in the area between 10 p.m. and midnight to contact the detachment.
Transit users in Greater Victoria and several other BC communities can ride the bus for free today to mark Earth Day. BC Transit says it is making transit free in the capital region in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. BC Transit says free transit will also be available today in West Kootenay, Penticton and Whistler. Meanwhile, in Vancouver young activists campaigning for free public transit for youth aged 18 and under will gather in front of Premier David Eby’s office.
Anglers in the Campbell River area are being urged to catch as many smallmouth bass as possible in an effort to eradicate the invasive sport fish. The province says it is also asking anglers to freeze their catches at Echo Lake and report them to fisheries officials. Smallmouth bass, introduced recently to Echo Lake, prey on smaller trout and other fish. Echo Lake is located about 15 minutes drive from Campbell River along the Gold River Highway.