Wildfires In British Columbia Force Aurora Cannabis To Evacuate Marijuana Farm And Heritage To Abandon Cannabis Facility

Cannabis growers in the U.S. are not the only ones whose operations have been endangered by wildfires. Canadian companies Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQ: ACB) and Heritage Cannabis Holding (OTCQX: HERTF) are experiencing the same difficulties in British Columbia.  

According to experts, wildfires intensify every year; they're starting sooner in the season and becoming stronger and more frequent. Earlier this year wildfires raged across California, threatening cannabis farms, as well as people and their homes in the affected areas. 

This August, a wildfire in White Rock, a city in British Columbia, Canada has been described as “a catastrophic event” by Mark Healey, the incident commander. The BC Wildfire Service explained that low humidity and winds combined with high summer temperatures make ideal settings for the spread of wildfires in this region, imposing real challenges to firefighters.  

Aurora Evacuates Outdoor Cannabis Farm 

The flames lead to Aurora having to evacuate its outdoor cannabis farm in Westwold, British Columbia, according to a report by Marijuana Business Daily. 

Aurora’s outdoor marijuana grow Aurora Valley spread across 200 acres in the Westwold community of British Columbia, around 248 miles northeast of Vancouver. According to Kamploos Fire Centre, there are 86 fires currently blazing in the surrounding region, of

which 40 were designated as “out-of-control.”

Fortunately, Aurora’s employees are unharmed and the evacuation did not affect the company’s operations, company officials told MJBiz Daily. 

“Our Valley operation is under an evacuation order, and we are taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, as well as supporting those who have had to evacuate,” wrote a company spokesperson who added that 13 employees at the site, along with their families had to evacuate their homes.

“Everyone is safe and some have been able to return to their homes in the past few days, as the fire has been downgraded,” the spokesperson added. “The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority, and we have been in touch with them regularly to help support their needs. Our other priority is the protection of the site, which we continue to monitor. We appreciate the tireless efforts of the BC Wildfire Service, who are working around the clock to contain the fires.”

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Considering its size, Aurora Valley is a valuable site where the company has been cultivating marijuana since 2019. Last year, Aurora planted 22 acres of cannabis on the site, and this year it almost doubled the number to 40 acres.

“Aurora Valley continues to be an important piece within the company’s cultivation network,” the spokesperson said. “Our recent harvest was very successful and we hope to repeat that success in the future.”

Heritage Evacuates Voyage Cannabis Facility 

Heritage’s subsidiary Voyage Cannabis Corp. also had to evacuate its Health Canada regulated cannabis facility in Falkland, British Columbia. The facility was “for four days last week but then able to return,” Heritage’s chair Clint Sharples told MJBiz Daily. 

 “We were put on evacuation alert (Thursday), so we’re keeping an eye on things,” Sharples added, explaining that the company temporarily transferred some of its production to its Fort Eire, Ontario-based site to reduce any product delivery delays. 

Sharples highlighted that the company’s employees at the 15,500 sq. ft. processing facility in Falkland are safe and that the company is “acting with an abundance of caution.”

Price action 

Aurora’s shares were trading 2.14% lower at $6.64 per share at the time of this writing late morning on Monday.

Heritage’s shares closed the Friday market session 47% higher at $0.06 per share.

Photo: Courtesy of Megan Lee on Unsplash