Rural B.C. area north of Fort St. John issued evacuation order amid wildfire threat

The Peace River Regional District has issued an evacuation order for properties in a rural area on the east side of the Alaska Highway north of Fort St. John.

The order was issued because of an out-of-control wildfire at nearby Donnie Creek, estimated at just over 118,000 hectares as of Friday evening.

The BC Wildfire Service says both ground and air crews attacked the fire Friday in an attempt to protect local industry assets, which make up a large portion of the area’s infrastructure.

The fire was sparked last Friday, and the BC Wildfire Service reports it was likely caused by lightning, which the province warns could cause more fires in the near future as more thunderstorms creep into the forecast and parts of B.C. transition to cooler, wetter spring weather.

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The Donnie Creek fire is just one of four “fires of note” in the northeast section of the province, with 43 of B.C.’s 75 current total wildfires located within the Prince George Fire Centre’s jurisdiction.

The BC Wildfire Service classifies fires of note as “a wildfire that is highly visible or poses a potential threat to public safety.”