Northeast hardest hit as B.C. wildfire season gets underway
Officials warn against open burning, urge caution with campfires given the unseasonably warm weather
The Latest
- Residents of Fort St. John who were evacuated Thursday evening have been allowed to return to their homes.
- Cell and internet service has been restored in Tumbler Ridge.
- There are more than 30 active wildfires across B.C., primarily in the province's northeast. For detailed information, visit the B.C. Wildfire dashboard.
- Officials are warning against open burning and backcountry fires due to unseasonably warm, dry conditions and high winds.
- For those with low battery or a poor connection, a low-bandwidth version of this site can be found at cbc.ca/lite.
- Updates to this story are being posted in reverse-chronological order, below.
Fires burn north of Hixon, southwest of Tumbler Ridge
Jon Azpiri | Last updated: Friday at 8:31 p.m. PT
The Naver Creek wildfire is 53 kilometres south of Prince George, near the unincorporated community of Hixon, and has the potential to impact Highway 97, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS). It says 19 personnel, along with helicopters and airtankers, are on site to support the Hixon Fire Department.
The BCWS is also responding to the Wolverine River wildfire, which was discovered 12 kilometres southwest of Tumbler Ridge.
It says the fire is estimated to be 15 hectares in size, but is expected to grow given site conditions and strong winds from an incoming cold front.
Residents urged to sign up for alerts
Andrew Kurjata | Last updated: Friday at 5:49 p.m. PT
The forecast for the weekend is cooler but officials still urge caution with any open burns and to check local conditions as several new fires have been detected in the past hours.
The Peace River Regional District says it is monitoring the wildfires in its boundaries but there are no evacuation orders or alerts at this time.
It is encouraging all residents to sign up for its emergency notification system to get customized alerts, and to check DriveBC for the latest on highway closures.
Detailed information on wildfires around the province can be found on the B.C. Wildfire dashboard.
Helicopters attack new wildfire between Chetwynd and Dawson Creek
Andrew Kurjata | Last updated: Friday at 5:03 p.m. PT
The B.C. Wildfire Service says it is responding to the Lames Creek wildfire, burning 40 kilometres northeast of Chetwynd, toward Dawson Creek.
Four helicopters, airtankers and an officer are on site, and ground crews have been dispatched, the service says.
The fire is small, at 0.15 square kilometres, but a plume of smoke is visible due to its proximity to Highway 97.
DriveBC is not currently reporting any impact, and no structures are reported to be at risk.
No major new fire starts
Andrew Kurjata | Last updated: Friday at 3:24 p.m. PT
As of the last update on Friday, there were no major new fire starts, but conditions remained hot and dry.
There have been a handful of new fires, including some started by lightning, in remote regions of the province.
There is also a small, less than 90-square-metre fire, detected about 30 kilometres down the Willow Cale Forest Service Road southwest of Prince George, and another similarly small fire near Fairhurst Creek south of Nakusp, but no evacuation orders or alerts or threats to structures have been reported.
New wildfires can be reported to 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cell.
'People were scared': councillor
Andrew Kurjata | Last updated: Friday at 3:15 p.m. PT
Fort St. John Coun. Trevor Bolin spent much of his evening Thursday posting updates about the Fish Creek wildfire onto social media channels.
The fire prompted limited evacuations but has since started moving away from the city, and residents have returned to their homes.
But Bolin says it's an unwelcome reminder of past summers, which have been characterized by smoky skies and trepidation as people in the area have been told to leave their homes at a moment's notice.
"People were scared, and you know what? I don't blame them," he said. "I don't think anyone ever expects the fire to be on the border of your town."
Communications restored in Tumbler Ridge
Andrew Kurjata | Last updated: Friday at 3:07 p.m. PT
Telus says it has successfully restored service to the District of Tumbler Ridge after a cable was damaged by fire on Thursday.
The District of Tumbler Ridge confirms in a Facebook post that communication channels are now working.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says wildfire G70192 is now 185 hectares, or 1.85 square kilometres in size, and a perimeter map shows it is bordering Highway 52 N, or the Heritage Highway.
DriveBC is reporting the highway remains open to single lane alternating traffic with a pilot vehicle, but that may change if conditions worsen.
Internet and cell service still out in Tumbler Ridge
Andrew Kurjata | Last updated: Friday at 1:15 p.m. PT
Cellphone and internet services continue to be disrupted in Tumbler Ridge after a fibre line was damaged by wildfire on Thursday.
The District says most of its key services remain offline, including email services from its offices.
Telus says after calling technicians away from repairs Thursday due to safety concerns, they were able to resume repairs Friday morning. No estimated time for the restoration of service was provided.
Emergency 911 service is working, but anyone in need of non-emergency help is advised to visit the RCMP office directly.
The visitor centre is offering its landline and WiFi, provided by satellite, for public use and has expanded its hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PT until service is restored.
Visitors to the community are being warned that many services will be cash only.
Highway travel affected
Andrew Kurjata | Last updated: Friday at 11:15 a.m. PT
While a cluster of wildfires has caused highway closures and delays north of the community, Tumbler Ridge remains accessible via Highway 29 from Chetwynd.
DriveBC is reporting that Highway 52 N, also known as the Heritage Highway, is single lane alternating traffic with a pilot vehicle through the wildfire zone.
That highway is being affected by wildfire G70192, which has grown to 1.85 square kilometres and is classified as out of control, which means it is spreading or anticipated to spread beyond its current control lines. The other fires in the cluster are being held.
Fort St. John evacuees can return home
Andrew Kurjata | Last updated: Friday at 9 a.m. PT
In an update posted to Facebook Friday morning, the City of Fort St. John says those evacuated from their homes on Thursday can now return home.
The Fish Creek Community Forest remains closed until further notice, but the fire has moved away from the community, toward the northeast.
The B.C. Wildfire Service last measured the fire at 56 hectares, or 0.56 kilometres squared and has classified the fire as out of control, which means it is spreading or anticipated to spread beyond its current control line.
Unseasonably warm weather prompts warning
Andrew Kurjata | Last updated: Friday at 9 a.m. PT
The B.C. Wildfire service is urging people to avoid open burning as the province heads into a day of unseasonably warm, dry and windy conditions lasting through Friday.
Though lightning is the leading cause of wildfires in B.C. overall, the service says that in the spring months, human activity is most likely to be responsible for new starts.
Many of the fires reported already this year have been grass fires or burn piles that have gotten out of control.
Merlin Blackwell, mayor of the community of Clearwater north of Kamloops, is urging people to put off backyard burning and other risky behaviour in the days ahead.
"We're saying please take a break from that until we get into the cold front," he said. "It's way too early."
Environment Canada is forecasting temperatures as high as 27 C in the Peace region and 28 C in the Fraser Valley on Friday but says a cooler, wetter weather system is expected this weekend in northern B.C.