Wildfire crews respond to a fire near Terrace, B.C.

Wildfire crews are responding to a new fire in the northwest of B.C. on Monday.

The BC Wildfire Service says the Pontoon Creek wildfire started south of Kitsumkalum Provincial Park, about 20 kilometres north of Terrace and about 800 metres from Highway 113.

According to the service’s website, it was first discovered on Monday afternoon just after 2 p.m. The fire currently spans two hectares, and is deemed “out of control.”

“A large column of smoke is highly visible to surrounding communities,” the service said in a social media post. “The fire is currently displaying rank 2 and 3 behaviour, which means a vigorous surface fire.”

The service says attack crews, two fire officers, three helicopters and an air tanker group are responding to the fire.

Information Officer at BCWS Michelle Larstone says the helicopters are bucketing water at the fire.

“The fire officers are there to provide the operational plans as well as organize the aviation plan. They’ve dropped fire retardant on the fire so far and gone back to refuel,” she told CityNews.

Larstone says although the fire is visible to anyone on Highway 113, there is no threat to the highway. However, she says some people have had to be escorted out nearby.

“We’ve escorted some campers out of Kitsumkalum Provincial Park as well as Ackerman Point,” she said. “There is no area restriction in place, but for people’s safety and the safety of crews and aviation response we’ve escorted campers out of those two areas.”

The service suspects the wildfire to be human-caused.

-With files from Anthony Atanasov.