Evacuation orders issued as winds fan flames of wildfire near B.C.-Alberta border

UPDATE — June 4, 2025: Officials expect 'significant wildfire growth' at blaze on B.C.-Alta. border

New evacuation orders were issued due to the Kiskatinaw River wildfire near the B.C.-Alberta border in northeastern B.C. on Tuesday, in addition to previous orders for 55 properties issued late last week.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire covered an area of just under 40 square kilometres, and is one of B.C.'s two "wildfires of note" — those that are particularly visible or pose a threat to public safety — the other being the Summit Lake wildfire in the far north.

Highway 52 East remains closed in the area due to the blaze, which is burning close to the Pembina Steeprock gas processing facility.

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says that the wildfire is set to experience "significant growth in the coming days," with winds up to 60 km/h pushing the fire north, south and east towards Kelly Lake and the B.C.-Alta. border by Friday.

"With relative humidity dropping below 20 [per cent], daytime temperatures in the 20s, and strong, persistent winds, aggressive and challenging fire behaviour is expected," the service said in an online update. 

The east flank of the blaze is one of the most difficult areas to control due to "wind-driven fire activity and volatile fuels," according to the update, with the BCWS saying structure protection equipment has been staged at properties in the Kelly Lake area.

In a statement sent just before 7 p.m. PT, the Peace River Regional District said the new evacuation order was issued due to immediate danger to life and safety.

Evacuees have been asked to register at the City of Dawson Creek.

North of Kiskatinaw River, the Fort Nelson First Nation issued an evacuation alert Tuesday for its Fontas reserve, where three wildfires are burning near Sikanni Old Growth Park.

The nation says the area southeast of Fort Nelson, B.C., includes one inhabited home and "many cultural sites."

Drivers asked to plan ahead

Meanwhile, the Summit Lake wildfire forced the closure of the Alaska Highway (Highway 97) in both directions west of Fort Nelson, and drivers in the region have been asked to check conditions and plan ahead.

The Summit Lake wildfire, which grew overnight and now covers 26.3 square kilometres, was first discovered on May 28, but grew aggressively between Sunday and Monday, prompting a highway closure for much of Monday.

While the Alaska Highway partially reopened to allow single-lane alternating traffic around 9:30 p.m. PT on Monday, it was closed again around 12 p.m. PT on Tuesday due to the blaze. Commuters have been asked to check DriveBC for the latest on the stretch, with no detour available, though it reopened to single-lane alternating traffic again on Tuesday night.

An evacuation alert remains in place for a stretch of the highway in the Tetsa Lake area, with the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM) warning people there to be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) said in an online update that, while maintaining access to the critical Highway 97 stretch was a priority, the safety of crews and the public was its primary objective.

"This wildfire experienced growth overnight; none of the growth was in the direction of Highway 97 or toward identified assets," the Tuesday update reads. "Weather will continue to have impacts on fire behaviour and highway access."

The BCWS said in its update that it conducted a planned ignition on Monday to limit the wildfire's impact on the highway, and larger planned ignitions would be conducted on Tuesday.

"The conditions are incredibly challenging and the terrain is very tough," fire information officer Madison Dahl said on CBC's Radio West Tuesday afternoon.

"It's very mountainous. It's beautiful, but it is very mountainous," she added. "It's incredibly difficult to navigate. So, we are relying quite heavily on aircraft at this time."

Rob Fraser, the mayor of the NRRM, said there were a number of wildfires threatening evacuation routes in and around Fort Nelson — which is located around 1,050 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.

Some of those fires, according to the mayor and the wildfire service, burned underneath the snow through the winter months and reignited this spring due to hot and dry conditions.

"It's pretty clear these fires are quite a ways away, although, you know, shutting the highway down starts to make people a little bit nervous about our evacuation routes," he told CBC's Radio West. 

Sarah Budd, a BCWS fire information officer, said that the bulk of wildfire activity was occurring in the northern half of the province, particularly the northeast corner. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were just under 70 fires burning in B.C.

"In the northeast, where we have the bulk of our current fire activity, we are expecting slightly higher winds today and tomorrow," she told CBC News on Tuesday.

"And with significantly higher winds on Thursday and Friday into the weekend, while we don't anticipate lightning or precipitation today or tomorrow, what we do think we're going to see is an extension of ... hot, dry, windy conditions."