Out-of-control wildfires burning near major dams in B.C.'s northeast

The B.C. Wildfire Service declared two wildfires of note in B.C.'s Peace region on Thursday, as officials warn September will continue to pose a risk after a calmer than average summer.

The Battleship Mountain wildfire is estimated to be 5.5 square kilometres and is burning out of control about 50 kilometres west of Hudson's Hope.

The Dinosaur Lake Wildfire is also near Hudson's Hope, burning about five kilometres from the Peace Canyon Dam and Highway 29.

The B.C. Wildfire Service upgraded that fire to "out of control" on Thursday but says it is not threatening any structures.

Officials say the fire is exhibiting moderate to extreme fire behaviour and additional growth is expected.

The suspected cause of the fire — which is being exacerbated by weather conditions — is lightning, according to Prince George Fire Centre spokesperson Alex Lane.

"We had winds sustained at approximately 50 kilometres an hour, which is quite high," Lane said Thursday.

Water skimmers are using nearby Moberly Lake to help suppress the fire, and members of the public are being advised to avoid the area.

High winds are pushing the wildfire to the east and the B.C. Wildfire Service says it is working closely with the Peace River Regional District and Emergency Management B.C. to determine next steps.

Meanwhile, the Folded Hill wildfire is being left to burn about 35 kilometres from the WAC Bennett Dam, with the blaze headed away from the facility.

B.C. Hydro says it is watching the fires closely.

Hot September poses threat

Forests Minister Katrine Conroy says it's been a below-average wildfire season so far this year in British Columbia, but high fire risks are forecast for September.

She says the number of wildfires and the area they have burned since April compare favourably with the 20-year average, with 1,355 fires charring 430 square kilometres this year.

That is only about one-sixth of the area burned by an average 1,515 fires by this time of year and one-twentieth of the 8,650 square kilometres burned last year when the province was scorched by a heat-dome weather event.

Conroy says 93 per cent of this season's fires have been extinguished or are under control.

Neil McLoughlin, a B.C. Wildfire Service spokesman, says up to 75 per cent of B.C. wildfires were caused by lightning this season, with 98,000 strikes recorded in August.

He says warm, dry weather is forecast to continue through September, keeping fire risks high in the province's southwest and northeast regions.

"Right now, our Pacific Ocean temperatures remain three to five degrees Celsius above normal, and that's going to translate into warmer-than-normal temperatures through September for most of the province."