HUDSON'S HOPE -- Cooler temperatures, high humidity and precipitation have led to reduced wildfire activity near Hudson's Hope, B.C., prompting the district to rescind its evacuation order.
The entire municipality of more than 800 people was ordered to evacuate last weekend as the Battleship Mountain wildfire encroached. As of 11 a.m. Saturday, residents were allowed to return to their homes, though the district warned that an evacuation order could be reinstated if conditions change.
Taylor Colman, fire information officer for the BCWS, said on Saturday that Battleship Mountain is the largest wildfire in the province, and will soon be the only "wildfire of note," now that the Bearhole Lake fire has lost that distinction .
The wildfire, burning 8 kilometres west of Hudson’s Hope, is now estimated at more than 302 square kilometers in size. Colman couldn't predict how much longer the Battleship Mountain fire will continue to burn, saying hot and dry conditions are expected to return this week.
"It's hard to determine how long the fire will continue to burn," she said. "We did receive more (rain) than we were anticipating, so that was great for the short term to keep things cool so we can take action and suppress the wildfire where it's safe to do so."
Hudson's Hope Mayor Dave Heiburg said the operation to save structures from the wildfire was the second largest of its kind in B.C. History.
With people returning to their homes, Hudson's Hope's Emergency Operations Centre has closed as of noon on Monday.
As of Saturday, only an area in the southwest corner of Hudson's Hope remained on evacuation alert.
The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze was caused by lightning on Aug. 30.
With files from Ian Holliday CTV News Vancouver
