Evacuees forced from their homes due to the Fish Creek Wildfire in Fort St. John, are being allowed to return.
The City of Fort St. John says the 19 households that were evacuated Thursday night can return home.
The city says it is believed that the wildfire did not affect any structures however the Community Forest will remain closed until further notice.
But the wildfire that started on Thursday, is still burning out of control and the blaze is moving beyond the Community Forest into the Peace River Regional District.
The BC Wildfire Service said the fire was discovered Thursday and spanned an estimated 56 hectares. In an earlier update the service had listed the fire at 110 hectares.
Flights at the North Peace Regional Airport were temporarily grounded Thursday. The airport said the move was due to active firefighting operations northwest of the airport. Normal ground operations have since resumed.
Fire activity decreased overnight, allowing crews to focus on limiting its northward spread. Current efforts continue to hold that direction, with helicopters cooling hotspots to support ground crews.
The wildfire service says it has two helicopters and 12 firefighters responding to the blaze alongside others from the local fire department.
It says fire activity was expected to increase Friday given the warm and dry conditions, and crews were working to establish hose lines to deliver water to the edges of the fire while the helicopters douse its southern end.
The BC Wildfire Service said, “The terrain is posing the greatest challenge, as this fire is burning on steep slopes where danger trees and rough terrain are hazardous to ground crews.”
BC Wildfire lists the suspected cause of the fire as human, however, the investigation is in its very early stages. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
Human caused fires can be unintentional or intentional, and include causes such as industrial activity, fireworks, or cigarettes improperly disposed of.
The Fort St John RCMP are requesting that anyone with information or video footage pertaining to the incident please contact the lead investigator Constable Shaun Wagantall at 250-787-8100
With files from The Canadian Press
