It was a much better weekend for firefighters In Northeast BC. According to the BC Wildfire Service, over the past three days, there have been three new wildfire starts in the region.
One of the fires that is burning out of control is a holdover fire from 2023. Due to dry conditions, the fire -re-ignited just over 100 kilometres southeast of Fort Nelson. In the past, it had burned 130 hectares.
A second fire re-ignited south of Fort Nelson. It is thought to be human caused but was put out quickly by firefighters, after growing to less than a hectare in size.
In the Fort Nelson Zone, wildfires that smouldered underground through the winter are re-emerging as temperatures rise and conditions remain dry. These are not new ignitions but rather the continuation of prior seasons, resurfacing from compacted layers of duff, peat and organic material that held heat for months beneath the snowpack.
A third fire started on Friday near Highway 29 and Ferrell Creek. The fire is burning out of control and is listed as a half hectare in size.
The BC Wildfire Service said that firefighting crews are on-route to the scene. The blaze is listed as a half hectare in size.
Helicopters and personnel are prioritizing areas that pose the greatest risk to values. In more remote locations, where wildfires show limited potential for growth or impact, response officers are conducting daily reconnaissance flights and ongoing assessments to inform operational decisions.
Extensive amounts of burned area from recent wildfire seasons paired with compounding years of drought continue to challenge response efforts in northeastern regions of the province.
Crews are dispatched based on risk, access, expected fire behaviour, and resource availability, ensuring that the most critical areas receive attention when it is needed most.
There are 19 wildfires burning across northeast BC, 10 of which are listed as ‘out of control.’