Rain continued to fall on Zeballos Sunday, leaving the community on edge as residents remain evacuated from their homes due to the risk of landslides. About 10 more homes were evacuated Saturday due to the threat posed by heavy rains on a steep slope damaged by a wildfire.
Christina Lepore was staying in an apartment beside the Zeballos general store, as the hotel she owns, the Cedars Inn, is in the evacuation area. It includes all homes north of the Sugarloaf Bridge, all homes on the east side of Maquinna Avenue, north of Pandora Crescent, all homes on Pandora Crescent east of Maquinna Avenue and home 402-B, 404, and 406 on the east side of Ferris Road.
All affected residents were asked to leave immediately.
Lepore said she feels for young families who recently moved onto properties in the evacuation zone. “They’ve got small children,” she said. Some families have moved into RVs south of the Sugarloaf Bridge or are staying with friends.
Lepore’s hotel is about 50 metres from the steep slope where, on Aug. 11, a wildfire broke out, ravaging the dense forest. The 168-hectare fire is 40 per cent contained, but the fire has loosened the roots of trees, causing debris to fall and making the slope unstable in the face of heavy rain, which is expected to last until Tuesday.
“From an emotional point of view, it's been very hard on everyone,” Lepore said. “You look up and you see a wasteland where there used to be forest growing.”
The wildfire and now the landslide risk caused Lepore to cancel all reservations at the eco lodge for the past month. The lodge attracts tourists from across North America and Europe who book boat excursions in the hopes to spotting sea otters and other wildlife.
“We've never had a year like this,” said Lepore, who moved to Zeballos in 1996 and purchased the inn in 2003. “It’s hard to recover from something like this.”
Lepore hopes someone can come inspect the slope and come up with a plan to mitigate damage.
When asked if the intense wildfires are the new normal, Lepore said no. It’s only going to get worse, she said, as climate change causes more extreme weather.
An evacuation order was issued at 8 a.m. Saturday on the recommendation of the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development. An evacuation centre has been set up in town.
Zeballos resident, Ernest Smith, wrote on Facebook that he got a from his son Andrew who said the family would have to evacuate their home Saturday morning.
“We are glad the powers that be are doing this,” he wrote, noting that he had already asked his sons to leave the house for fear of potential slides.
He wrote that the family was going to relocate south of the Sugarloaf Bridge which is what other residents have done.
Dave Annand, who lives in the 100-block of Maquinna Avenue, about 500 metres south of the evacuated area, said he hasn’t seen any major rock slides in the last 24 hours.
“Nothing has moved yet that I can see,” he said Sunday evening. “It all depends on the rainfall and the slope stability.”
As he spoke, the rain had died down and he hoped it would stay calm for the rest of the week.
He said everyone in the community has remained calm.
“We’re used to putting up with adverse weather,” he said.
Six homes were evacuated last month due to the blaze.
If you have to leave your home:
• Follow the travel route provided and register at the Village Office at 157 Maquinna Ave.
• Close all windows and doors.
• Shut off all gas and electrical appliances, other than refrigerators and freezers.
• Close and latch gates, but do not lock them.
• Gather your family. If your neighbour or someone needs help, take them, too.
• Take critical items such as medicine, purse, wallet and keys only if they are immediately available. Pets should be taken on leash on in pet kennels.
• Do not use more vehicles than you have to.
• Do not use the telephone unless you need emergency services.
Those in need of transportation assistance from the area or who are looking for more information can call 250-761-4229.
